


Stone Fish

by Lithiasaur



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, F/F, Gem Sex, Mergems, Mermaids, Pirate Sex, Pirates, Romance, Sea Battle, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, drunken fun, jaspearl - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2020-08-13 17:15:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 54,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lithiasaur/pseuds/Lithiasaur
Summary: A mermaid/pirate AU featuring Steven Universe gems. A fierce, and notoriously nameless, pirate comes across a sinking Yellow Diamond Navy ship, and takes its survivors aboard as prisoners. After an encounter with a large, beautiful mergem, the Captain decides to take the crew back to their Diamond, and figure out what brought the navy to cursed waters to begin with, in a ship not equipped for battle but rather for research. The Captain stumbles into a much more complicated web of intrigue than she could begin to imagine, all the while falling for the enchanting creature that live beneath the waves.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> So uh. Another sidetracked story here, but I asked my friend for some suggestions on what to write, and this was the result. I won't be posting chapters, technically, but rather just chunks of writing whenever I get some done. First up, the first ten pages.

The sun was already high in the sky as the Captain left her quarters, stretching lazily in the warm rays that washed over the deck. Sighing, she looked around the main deck, holding her hand up in greeting as her first mate enthusiastically waved at her in greeting. The short, purple gem hopped over to her, grinning in that devilish way that told the Captain she either had a very dirty joke to share, or a stupid idea. 

“There’s a Yellow Navy ship on the horizon, Cap’n.” 

“So it be a stupid idea,” The Captain breathed, putting her hand on her hip and fixing her first mate a very even stare. The purple gem blinked back at her in wonder, not capable of reading her mind. “We are not engaging an Authority vessel, Amethyst.” 

“But Captain! They’re already half scuttled! We can easily take them! Sapphire spotted them from the crow’s nest! Come on, Stonefish, we haven’t had any fun in a while!” 

All of her crew had nicknames for her, as she never introduced herself to any of them. And yet they followed her with a blind loyalty that could never be shaken, a crew of duty and honor bound souls that seemed to know each other in a way far deeper than names and histories. As such, those things were simply not required to be a member of her crew. Most of her enemies called her Coral, as she even hid her gem from view under layers of loose, carefully constructed and yet fittingly Piratical clothing. 

“Aye, fine. Take us to it, First Mate, but only close enough to take a look at her condition.”

“Whoo!” Amethyst ran toward the helm, though the Captain opted to climb up to the crow’s nest to take a look at the ship herself. Sapphire was still on duty there, looking out with a scope to get a better look. When her Captain joined her, she bowed politely, and offered the glass to her. The Captain smiled, always charmed at Sapphire’s very courtly manner. 

“Did ye see what befell this ship?” she asked thoughtfully, gazing out across the ocean. She spotted the ship even without the help of the telescope, big plumes of smoke painting the sky. It was on fire as it sank, the crew aboard running around trying to at least keep their damaged ship afloat. Three life boats were already in the water, though there only seemed to be one gem in each. Cowards, the Captain imagined, wrinkling her nose in disgust. 

“There were no other ships in the water, my lady,” Sapphire replied quietly, “I saw no attack. But considering where we are…” 

“I be thinking the same. Keep your eye on it, matey, and please, do call me Captain, or some other name. I be no lady to anyone.” The Captain smiled softly at her navigator, soft blue eyes warm with the order, and Sapphire smiled at her shyly. 

“I will try, my… Captain.”

With that, the Captain handed back the telescope and leaped out of the crow’s nest, grabbing a rope and swinging down to the deck. Sapphire really wished she would not do that, though it was her favorite method of escaping the nest: every time she saw a chance of it breaking and her plummeting to her death, though so far the lithe, light bodied Captain managed to avoid tragedy.

Back on the deck, the Captain hurried to the helm, taking the wheel from Amethyst as she stepped up. She guided the ship carefully, not drawing too close to the wreckage. They were close enough for the life boats to spot them, and they turned toward the bigger ship as if it were a haven to them. 

“We be taking no cowards,” the Captain informed the crew. Ruby raised her hand and let out a cheer, agreeing. Bismuth grinned, looking out over the water as the little boats paddled closer. The Captain saw the look on her face, and quickly added, “nor will we be adding to the casualty count.” 

Bismuth grumbled. 

“Keep your wits about you, lads. This is a cursed place: likely, they ran aground. There are rocks jutting up under the waves, far apart from one another, and with no clear warning of their locations. Strong tides and, some say, the will of evil can throw a ship to its death in a matter of seconds. Do as I say, and we may yet gain some supplies to restock our holds from this little accident.” 

“Aye Captain!” the voices of her crew called in unison. 

A row boat reached their ship, and the Captain moved to lean over the edge of the deck to stare down at it. She tilted her head at the gem that stared up at her. Dressed in the ugly green and yellow uniform that could only belong to the most tyrannical Diamond to ever settle the islands and seas, the big Agate held her hand up toward the Captain and motioned demandingly. 

“Toss me a rope! We’ve been wrecked, and need your aid! It is your honor to aid the Authority!”

“Is it, now?” The Captain purred, putting her chin in her hand and leaning on the railing casually. “I thank ye, for the honor, but I do kindly decline. Is it yer honor to flee from yer crew, leaving so many to burn on the decks of yer sinking vessel? Be that the will of yer Authority?” 

“You dare judge an officer of Her Radiance’s royal navy?! Who are you to be so disrespectful, pirate?!”

“Just that, indeed. And these be my waters. Ye can tell your Radiance that, once those meaty arms of yours have rowed you all the way back to her castle. That boat called to ye, and ye thought yourself the most deserving to have it: I should na’er get in the way of fate. Enjoy yer very long trip home, Officer.” 

“Your name, you miserable sea rat!” the Agate screamed as the Captain moved away from the rail. She waved her hand over her shoulder, the last part of her the Agate was able to see from her boat. 

“I’ve none. But that will be enough for yer Diamond.” 

The Captain hurried back up to the wheel, grinning at Amethyst, who was staring at her with wide, amused and adoring eyes. Her Captain ran things with her own code of honor, which she respected and did her best to abide by. Cowardice had no place on her decks, and Amethyst was already barking orders despite the Captain’s previous words, knowing just what she was going to do now. 

“Bring us to that vessel! We will take all we can hold: including prisoners! Fill the brig with those navy scum!” The Captain called, and her crew cheered. Their wake as they moved by the life boats tipped one of them over, dumping the already angry Agate from before into the cold ocean. 

When she surfaced, floatation vest fully inflated, the two other boats were empty, though not tipped over like her own. She swam to one of them and climbed into it, looking around for its previous crewman, but seeing no trace of them in the water. The search was short, as she took up the oars and began to paddle away from the cursed scene. Shadows swam underneath her boat, following her. 

\------------------------

“Captain Coral,” Ruby came up, holding her hand up in a salute. The Captain regarded her patiently, though she did nod her head after a long moment when she realized the other was not going to continue without prompting. Coral was the most common name given to her, most of her arrest warrants and wanted posters emblazoned with the name the Diamond Authority had given her. It made her seem more like a gem, and less like some sort of phantom on the water. At least, that was what they hoped. 

“Go on, Ruby. You do take your time.” 

“We’ve gathered all the prisoners we could find. We had to poof some of them, but they’re cooperating nicely now. At least, that’s what Bismuth said. Anyway, they’re all in the brig now. We’re finishing up raiding the holds, but their vessel is nearly submerged. Might be a good time for you to swing over and take a look around... “ 

“Aye, I was thinking the same. Gather the crew and get to safety. I’ll take a quick swim around, and see what we might have left behind.” 

\----------------------------

The Captain gave her first mate a nod as she stood on the rail of the ship, looking out over the very last pieces of the navy ship that could still be seen over the surface of the water. The fire was, at least, out, but sinking into the ocean tended to do that to a burning ship. 

“Be careful in there, Stonefish,” Amethyst offered, with a slight look of concern on her face. As with most gems, Amethyst could not swim, and required floatation devices to keep her from sinking to the bottom of the ocean immediately, where she would be crushed by the pressure of the water, or crack and shattered over time and with the cruelty of erosion. It was a fear most Gems, even those who took to sailing the seas, held within them. The Captain, though, had no such troubles, and was one of the only gems Amethyst had ever met that could float rather than sink. 

“Aye, Amethyst. I will. Fear not, it’s just a bit of water!” The Captain laughed, winking before leaping into the water and disappearing under the rough surface with a very slight splash. Amethyst watched for any sign of her, but she was gone with only a few strokes of her arms. 

The Captain was not only unafraid of the water, she absolutely loved it. She swam effortlessly, cutting through the water to enter the sunken ship. It was still falling apart as it settled on one of the stony outcroppings deep under the waves. Finding a hole in the side of the ship, she swam down into the deeper parts of the holds, which would have already been underwater by the time her ship and crew arrived to raid. 

Spotting some movement out of the corner of her eye, the Captain turned in the water, but saw nothing. Not even a fish. Frowning, she returned to her search, catching a glint of green behind an overturned barrel. She gasped, which was never a great idea underwater, when she spotted the green belonged to a small Peridot that was trapped under overturned barrels of gunpowder. Bogged down in water, they weighed even more than they usually did, and the short limbed gem had no hope of free herself. Likely, she was caught when the ship initially sank, and had to endure the rising waters with nothing to aid her. Feeling a stab of pity, the fearsome pirate captain swam closer, drawing her sword and trying to find a good place to wedge it and get even leverage to free the barrels. 

She managed to stab it into a good corner before something strong smashed into the side of the Captain’s face, sending her spiraling through the water like a torpedo. She slammed into the nearest wall, which was already compromised by the catastrophic way the ship sank, and collapsed behind her. Floating in broken wood and a cloud of ashy dust, the Captain took a moment to orient herself. 

Looking back at the trapped Peridot, she now saw a large shadow floating in front of it. Eyes widening, the Captain recognized the shape as that of a mermaid, but unlike any she had ever seen or heard of before. Big, very big, with long, wild hair and a long, tiger striped tail. It had a few long fins on it, like that of a shark, and the top half was no less intimidating. Her body was muscular and perfectly carved, all of it looking toned and hard save only the ample curves of her naked breasts. Her arms were held up in a defensive stance, but instead of curling her fingers into fists she, like the one she’d just sent the Captain reeling with, she had them spread to reveal dangerous claws.

The Captain’s eyes came to rest on the mermaid’s face, which was twisted in anger. Eyebrows furrowed in a dangerous scowl, lips pulled back to reveal long fangs, the creature did not immediately harken back to the romantic piratical tails of timeless beauty, but the Captain supposed they were meeting under strained circumstances. 

Rumor said that mermaids, or mergems as some called them when not trying to make them sound friendly, raided sunken ships for any lost souls trapped in the water. It was said that they ate land gems, sometimes not even waiting for them to be poofed first. The Captain was not sure if that were true or not, but she was certainly not going to let this one try it on her, or that trapped Peridot. 

Unfortunately, her sword was too far away from her to really be much use right now. She had another weapon, but that would mean…

The Captain swore in the back of her mind, swimming forward and tackling her shoulder into the mergem’s midsection. She used her feet for added impact, kicking off what was left of the hold’s wall to add to her force. She managed to slam into the creature, a rush of bubbles escaping her opponent’s mouth before she dragged her claws across the Captain’s back, shredding clothes and skin alike and leaving four long, ugly gashes. Screaming silently, the Captain turned, pulling a small knife from her belt and burying it into the mergem’s side. That was enough to get the creature to thrash, throwing the Captain away from her and swimming away as quickly as her kicking tail would allow. 

It was very fast, actually, and the Captain watched her go in wonder. The Captain grimaced and swam to the barrels again, taking hold of her sword and finally able to push the damn thing free. She was beginning to wonder if a Diamond’s Peridot was worth all the trouble, but she told herself she was not just doing it to save the life of a stranger. There was more at stake here, and she knew it. Grabbing hold of the water logged Peridot, the Captain hauled her up from where she’d been pinned, kicking her feet and swimming with just one arm as she clung to her new, useless appendage. 

She managed to get out of the ship, struggling to kick her way to the surface, before a familiar shadow circled around her. It seemed the mergem was not done with her yet. It held the Captain’s knife in its hand, and was intent on returning the weapon to its rightful owner after it had been misplaced. In her gut. 

The Captain grinned at her, then pointed up. Snarling, the mergem turned and looked up just in time to see three spears slicing through the water in her direction. She dove out of the way, turning once she was a safe distance to watch as the Captain reached the surface. She grabbed hold of a rope ladder that was thrown to her, and pulled back up onto her ship by her crew, taking the Peridot with her. 

\------------------------------

“Ah ha,” the Captain panted, laughing as she looked up from where she was kneeling on her hands and knees on the deck. Her crew were gathered around, various degrees of concern on their faces. Bismuth was standing nearest the Peridot, kicking it lightly with her big, booted foot. “Thank ye, for excellent timing. That creature might have made a meal of us both if you lot had not gotten there.” 

“Any time, Cap’n,” Amethyst said, but her tone lacked her usual boisterousness,her eyes soft as she looked at the scratches on her Captain’s back. They looked painful, but everyone on the crew knew their leader would not retreat into her gem to heal them. Any time she was injured, she suffered through it until her body and gem managed to restore her form. Maybe there was more to it than that, but the crew never asked any prying questions of their captain. She got to her feet slowly, Amethyst moving to support her. 

Ruby and Sapphire were standing together, both hold spear guns. It was rare for the navigator to come down from the crow’s nest and engage in the action, she had been the one to spot the shadows of mermaids in the waters. And anyway, it was nice to be near Ruby again, who was holding on to her tightly with her free hand. 

“Where’d you find this little thing?” Bismuth laughed, picking up the unconscious Peridot by the back of her uniform. Her gem was cracked slightly, presumably damaged when the ship sank. 

“Where do ye think?” The Captain grumbled, moving to take the small gem. She hauled her over her shoulder, looking at her crew for a moment and noting all the wide, concerned eyes on her. She huffed, waving her other hand. “Get back to work! Bring us around and restore our course! Get us away from these cursed waters.” 

“Aye Captain!” The crew responded, not moving until after the Captain disappeared into her quarters, the door locking behind her. 

\------------------------

For the second time, the injured Peridot was dreaming of mermaids. She opened her eyes blearily, looking up into a shimmering, beautiful white light. Was it white? Straining against the radiance, she thought she could see almost every color she’d ever seen before, and some she had never experienced. Her eyes watered and she closed them again, sighing softly as a strange warmth flooded through her. Something touched her gem, gentle and tingling. When she opened her eyes again, however, she was greeted by a dark, dingy looking room that was slowly rocking around her. Sitting up abruptly, she pressed her hand to her gem and found it in perfect order. No cracks. 

Standing not too far away from the bed, perhaps the distance of one hurried hop to the side, was a strange gem dressed ridiculously, tying an even more ridiculous bandana around her head. She looked at Peridot thoughtfully, then offered her a cocky grin. 

“Awake, eh? Well, welcome back to the land of the living, matey. Ye almost lost yerself to the waters that claimed yer vessel. Now, I’ve a few questions for ye, if a little gem like ye thinks they can manage it.” 

“I’m a Peridot in her Radiance’s service: there is no question I lack the ability to answer. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just tell you anything you want because you have me kidnapped! My Diamond will still have my head, and yours, you rotten pirate!” 

The Captain looked a little stunned, tilting her head to the side, though her grin never faded.

“That be a poor attitude for one so recently saved by a rotten pirate.” 

“You… wha?” 

Peridot looked around and found herself sitting on the plush bed of the Captain, the pillows arranged to support her head while she was resting. She had been propped up a bit, her uniform hanging from a wire of lights draped over the bed, and replaced with a loose, soft cotton shirt the was rather frilly and pillowy. She had likewise pillowy shorts on, though they were almost long enough to be considered pants. 

“Where are my clothes?! Why have you dressed me in such an audacious manner?! You had no right to remove my uniform, it would have dried itself when I woke up to use my gem!” 

“Which was cracked,” the Captain reminded her patiently. Or perhaps she really never knew, having been unconscious under the water and would have likely died there had she not shown up. “Not ta mention that mergem that’d been lurking nearby. Ye likely would have made a meal for a monster, but that would at least be better than rotting away over time under the crushing waves, lost and forgotten. Now, unless ye would like to be returned to yer vessel and wait for rescue from yer beloved Diamond, I humbly request a more patient demeanor.” 

Dumbfounded, Peridot stared at her own bare feet on the bed for a moment before drawing a very deep breath. 

“FINE,” She barked. She folded her arms over her chest with such purpose and willful attitude that the Captain thought she might have heard something crack. Grinning again, the Captain sat down on the bed beside Peridot, pulling her feet up to rest, long leg leaning languidly on Peridot’s. The green gem looked mortified, disgusted, and afraid all in one expression, shuffling so far to the side of the bed that she nearly fell off it. 

“Tell me,” the Captain said softly, watching the awkward gem while leaning back against the head board, draping her arms over the ornate wood. “What a scientist be doing on a Navy vessel at sea, and in these cursed waters? Seems a strange place to me, but I be naught but a simple sea gem meself. Perhaps you can enlighten me, what with that deep wit peridot’s like you are purported to have.”

Peridot did not miss the sarcasm, but the play to her ego worked nonetheless. 

“I was there because my Diamond ordered me to be! Not that you would know anything about serving, because you’re a wild animal! We were conducting a research operation, and we were not equipped to be attacked! Though that was a Navy ship, with a battle experienced crew, it was not prepared for battle. Not that we even saw what attacked us! I was in the holds, where I set up my lab among all that unnecessary future flotsam, and was up to my gem in sewage before I knew what to do.” 

The Captain considered the gem thoughtfully. She was not willing to offer too much information, shifting the topic and her answer deftly away from the question she posed. So the Scientist was smarter than she looked, even in a setting away from her technology and experiments. Grinning, she got up and shrugged her lithe shoulders, accidentally giving Peridot a look at the long slashes on her back. 

“Oh, you’re damaged,” Peridot pointed out, in case she had not noticed the incredibly painfully looking slashes across her lithe, delicate looking frame. The holes in her shirt allowed Peridot a quick peek at the soft, pale skin underneath, and she realized just how thin her body was under all that cloth and leather. The Captain turned sharply, facing Peridot now with one hand raised in the air. 

“Nevermind that. Ye go ahead and take a nap, restore the energy yer gem lost from that crack. Do try not to steal any of me things while I’m away, I’m trusting ye as a guest in me chambers, ye know.” 

“Like I want any of this refuse,” Peridot grunted, scooting back to the center of the bed and plopping down to nap. She was feeling incredibly tired, now that she was thinking about it. She closed her eyes and was snoring in a matter of moments. 

The Captain sighed. Peridots were always so much trouble, but this one seemed particularly feisty. 

\-------------------------------

Sapphire was below deck, resting. Ruby offered to take the shift over the crow’s nest, if only because she insisted the one-eyed gem take a rest after being up there so long. It was very sweet, and Sapphire wondered if there were more reasons than just concern for her crew mate behind Ruby’s offer. Ruby did anything she could, whenever the chance arose, if it was for Sapphire, and the other had not failed to notice. 

They had been sailing together for a few months now, growing close and comfortable, but the mood seemed to be shifting. Sapphire was sitting on her cot, blushing as she considered it. 

There was a light knock on her door, and she got up, thinking maybe it was Ruby. She would be in trouble for shirking her duties, and coming down here while leaving the ship adrift without a navigator. Opening the door slowly, she was surprised to see her Captain leaning on the doorframe. 

“Sapphire, I need your aid,” the Captain said softly, her usual speech tone altered. Or rather, unaltered. 

“Captain! Oh, come inside. I knew this wound would be bad!” Sapphire moved to help her inside, supporting the light gem with a little difficulty, if only because the Captain was so much taller than her. She guided her over to the cot, laying her down on her side with her back visible. Sapphire shook her head, needing to take off the Captain’s multiple layers of clothing to get a look at the injury. 

“Of course you do,” the Captain said, with a chuckle. With future sight, there was little Sapphire did not know. 

“Hush, don’t waste the energy to speak if you’re just going to make fun of me! Honestly, Pearl, I don’t know how you’re still alive after all this time.” 

The Captain winced to hear her real name, but when she was alone with Sapphire, it was the only time she ever had to endure it. Sapphire was very careful with her secret, never revealing her identity to anyone, even the other crew members. Not even the first mate, Amethyst, knew what kind of a gem her Captain really was. 

“You used your gem, didn’t you? You know your body can’t handle those powers any more!” Sapphire had continued to scold her, but Pearl found herself tuning her out. 

“I saw the way Ruby was holding on to you, on deck earlier. Is she finally making a move?” 

“Captain! You’re incorrigible!” 

“And you’re in love...ible.” 

There was a moment of silence between them, as Sapphire tugged Pearl’s leather vest from her body and tossed it to the side. She started laughing, despite herself, and the Captain joined in soon enough, helping to take off her frilly long sleeved shirt, but leaving her undershirt on. She looked back over her thin shoulder at Sapphire with a warm smile, the small blue gem shaking her head but unable to keep her own smile hidden. 

“Captain, please,” she said, after a moment, “this is very serious.” 

“I’m sure it is. That Ruby is a difficult one to figure out,” Pearl said airily, but she sighed with an obvious tone of pain as Sapphire ran her hand over the deep scratches. Sapphire hurried to her cabinets for a moment, rummaging around for some salves she thought might help ease the pain. Pearl’s situation was unique for a gem, and she was unable to retreat into her gem to heal her body when she was injured. The reason she gave others was out of fear of giving away her true identity, but in reality she simply could not use that ability any more. Even Sapphire did not know the exact details that led to her condition, but she respected her Captain enough not to pry. 

Very gently, Sapphire smoothed the salve across the gouges, shaking her head. 

“This was done by that mergem we saw chasing you?” 

“Aye… uh… yes. She was after that Peridot, I suppose. Blindsided me when I was trying to free her from some flotsam. I’ve never seen such a big mermaid before, in all my travels. Beautiful, all the same. Maybe moreso than the ones you see in the tales.” 

“Prettier than a pearl?” Sapphire teased softly, knowing the effects of the salve would be sending her Captain to sleep soon enough. Even as she wrapped the injury carefully, lifting the undershirt just enough to do so, she felt Pearl’s body grow limp. Putting the undershirt back down, Sapphire let her Captain sleep in the cot, tucking her in with a blanket. She shook her head, but another knock on her door made her jump. 

“Sapphire? You in there?” 

Ruby’s soft, gruff voice filtered through the door, not quite whispering. Pearl turned in the cot, and Sapphire did not need to turn around to see the smarmy look on her face. She moved to the door and opened it slightly, slipping through it and closing it firmly behind her. 

“Come on, Ruby, let’s go to the crow’s nest,” the Captain heard her saying softly, “we can’t leave the ship without a navigator… but there’s no rule against two at once.” 

\---------------------------------------------


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More random chapters to a random story! Mermaids, pirates, and gems collide. If anyone has any requests for stories, or questions about the current ones, feel free to poke me.

“Jasper! You’re wounded!” 

Bowing her head as she was, Jasper was not expecting the arms that suddenly wrapped themselves around her shoulders, hugging her tightly in both greeting and worry. They quickly let her go, one hand remaining on her shoulder as the other hovered just over the injury to her side. Jasper held up the small knife, grunting in irritation. 

“A pirate got me while she was raiding the sunken Navy ship. I wasn’t expecting to find one swimming, but she was able to move pretty damn fast for a rock.” 

“A gem that can swim? That’s… strange. Are you sure she wasn’t wearing a floatation device? Some of their technology is getting very portable.” The beautiful, radiantly pink mermaid circled around Jasper, examining her for any other wounds besides the one on her side. Not finding any, she closed her eyes and her gem began to glow brightly. With a light touch of her hand, the wound on Jasper’s side closed, not leaving even the faintest trace of a scar behind. 

“Thank you, my Queen,” Jasper’s tone was calmed, and she bowed her head again in reverence. 

“Tell, me, Jasper, were you able to find any gems from the wreckage?” Rose Quartz swam away from Jasper to settle back into her throne, watching her beautiful, loyal warrior with a quiet, worried gaze. She was one of the oldest of the merfolk that lived in these waters, and had seen far too many wars between land gems, and even her own kind. Yet she was not jaded, no matter how many times her people were hunted, and instead focused her concern, and her entire rule, on aiding those gems that fell into the ocean. 

It did not matter what brought them there, even orders to kill those like her. 

“Those dirty pirates got most of them. They raided the ship before it sank, and took most of the crew hostage. Don’t know what they think they’ll do with them. We got two officers trying to escape in row boats, but they were both damaged. There was a third, but that one was fine. Also kind of a bitch, so we left her.” Jasper grunted, and noticed Rose was smiling at her in a way that made it seem like she thought Jasper was joking. Jasper cleared her throat and continued, “there were a couple others still in the water. I was going to help a little Peridot but that rat pirate got her first. The other gems are already in the tidepools for healing, my Queen.” 

“This swimming gem,” Rose asked thoughtfully, long, flowing curls of thick pink hair floating around her face in their usual, beautiful way. “What sort of a gem was she?” 

“Couldn’t tell. Had so much clothes on, I couldn’t see what part of her wasn’t made of cloth. Fast though, and determined. Usually pirates will run when they see a mermaid coming at them, especially one like me. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in her when she looked at me. Like she’d seen me before.” 

“Or something like you,” Rose said thoughtfully. She waved her hand, dismissing the conversation there. Jasper nodded her head, turning to swim away. “Jasper, wait,” Rose called, swimming from the throne. “Take me to the tidepools. I’d like to see these gems you and the others saved. I have a strange feeling about this ship…” 

“We didn’t mean for it to go so bad,” Jasper said, a little defensively, “the others were trying to chase it out of the rocks, but the damn Navy just tried to go fishing for us. We had to fight back, and they smashed into the rocks-”

“I’m not blaming you for what happened, Jasper,” Rose giggled, patting her lightly on the head as she swam by. Jasper looked annoyed, but charmed in the same glance. “I just want to see who they were, and if we should expect more.” 

“Yes, of course, my Queen.” 

Jasper kicked her tail and swam ahead of Rose, though she knew her Queen was very familiar with their under sea home, and hardly needed a guide. Still, she guided nonetheless and the two wound their way through tight caverns and away from the royal hall. Swimming up through the underground cave system, they arrived in a large cavern with a pocket of air in it, and some solid ground. There were separate pools of water in that ground, though they could not swim into them from underneath or any other way, isolated and perfect for incubating damaged gems. 

A pretty blue mermaid looked up from where she was sitting along the rocks, leaning over the pools. She was out of the water, but all of the merfolk could surface and even go up on land for hours at a time. No longer than a day, a complete twenty four hours, though, or their gems would crack. Or worse. A mermaid’s place was in the water, and they could not take too many risks when it came to the land. 

“My Queen,” she said softly, bowing her head. Her fluffy mop of short, blue hair fell forward, though it had already been covering her eyes and this did nothing to change its appearance. She looked up and gestured to the pools. “The gems are already in the healing waters, but this one... “ 

There was a small blue gem resting in a pool alone. A shard of it was sitting next to it, having splintered off as it was being transported from the wreckage. From the deep cracks in the gem itself, it was no surprise. The poor thing looked close to shattered. Rose’s eyes filled with tears as she regarded it, coming closer as the blue mermaid moved back and into the water to allow her the space. 

“I hope you can help it, my Queen,” she said quietly, keeping her head bowed in respect. Jasper watched her, then looked back at Rose and saw her reaching carefully into the pool to gather the broken gem. Sitting atop the rocks, her resplendent pink scales shimmered in the low light of the cave, coloring the walls in a soft pink glow. She seemed to radiate, and Jasper could only stare at her in wonder. 

“My Queen, are you healed enough to…?”

“I can restore this little gem,” Rose said firmly, and her tone indicated she would not be argued with. Jasper bit her tongue, though she knew that Rose often thought with her heart before her head, and needed someone to keep her from shattering herself sometimes. She had too strong a will to help others, and not a strong enough one to keep herself safe. She was the Queen of their whole kingdom, after all! She could not afford to be so reckless, for the life of a gem she had never met. And yet with every new member of their clan she made in this way, she did exactly that. 

“Where the land failed you, the sea will provide,” Rose said quietly, to the damaged gem. It was shaped like a small tear, a deep blue, like the darkest reaches of the ocean’s depths. Rose closed her eyes, and the gem on her stomach began to glow with an impossible brightness, enough to force even Jasper and the little blue mermaid beside her to shield their eyes.

\------------------------------------

Pearl opened her eyes slowly, not sure when she had fallen to sleep, or how long it had been. Her back was feeling better, the salve filling in the gaps of her form that the claws of the mermaid tore away. She got up slowly, stretching, and had to collect her clothes from where her navigator had tossed them the night before. Sapphire never made it back to her room after Ruby knocked on the door, but the Captain supposed she could let that slide for once. After all, the crow’s nest had not been left empty, and someone probably looked out once or twice to make sure they were on course for land during the night.

Probably. 

Taking her leave of Sapphire’s quarters, she moved to return to her own, which she found was still locked tight. At least the little Peridot had not attempted anything stupid while the Captain was away. Unlocking the door, she stepped into the surprisingly spacious room and was greeted by a flying tackle from over the door jam. 

She was slammed to the ground, crying out in pain as Peridot dug her knee into the Captain’s back. She had a knife she’d found in the room in her hand, pressing it to Pearl’s throat. 

“Take me to the gems you’ve kidnapped!” 

“Ye be threatening me to take ye to the brig? I would be all too glad to escort ye there- Argh!” Peridot ground her knee into what she took to be a very sensitive injury, watching as the Captain grimaced and coiled beneath her. She felt very powerful, and grinned triumphantly. At least until a long hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her violently from her perch. The Captain, not afraid of a scientist pretending to be tough for a few moments, dragged Peridot off her back and rolled with her, grabbing her by the shoulders and slamming her down into the ground hard enough for her head to crack back against the wooden floor. Dazed, Peridot lost track of her knife. 

But Pearl did not. 

It was in her hand even before it managed to touch the ground when Peridot released it, flashing in the dimly lit room and stopping just short of the green gem’s neck. Pearl’s hold was much more certain than Peridot’s had been: she pressed the blade just under Peridot’s chin, biting just enough to hurt. Simply pointing a blade at her from a distance was not enough to bring a battle hardened pirate to her knees. And the pain of her injury being exploited only angered her further. 

Peridot gave up fighting completely, shaking and covering her eyes with her hands. 

“Stop, stop, please! I just want to find someone! That was an irrational decision on my part, and I apologize for attempting to strong arm you!” 

Huffing, Pearl sat back, pulling the blade back with her and releasing the much smaller gem. Peridot scrambled away, coiling into a ball as she found the nearest wall and watching the Captain with wide, but furious, eyes. Clearly, she did not much enjoy having to apologize, though she only did so to save her own skin. 

“Clod!” she huffed, voice cracking, “you didn’t have to be so violent!” 

“It were ye that leaped on me head, Peridot,” the Captain sighed. She got to her feet, hiding any trace of weakness as she stood over the green gem, looming purposefully with all the malice and danger she could muster into her aura. It was incredibly effective, Peridot only able to watch her and tremble for a long, silent moment. Pearl relented, though, and offered her hand, free of a knife, to the scientist. “Come along, then, and I will take ye to the brig. Yer mates are there, and safe.” 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Peridot huffed, though she reached up and took the Captain’s hand in order to get to her feet. Her head was still ringing from where she slammed into the floor, and she rubbed the new bump on the back of her head ruefully. It was a very sharp, sudden lesson to learn, but it was not lost on her that it could have been much worse. The Captain, for all her gruffness and animalistic instincts, had shown her a little mercy. 

What sort of pirates were these, anyway? 

\----------------

The brig was dark, but only because Bismuth, the security officer of the crew, preferred it that way. She was sitting at the only table in the large room, sharpening a set of blades carefully. She looked up when she heard footsteps on the stairs leading down from the deck, and stood when her Captain walked into the room. 

“Cap’n,” she greeted, nodding her head, though she arched an eyebrow, “looking a little rough, Seaweed.”

Seaweed, Bismuth once explained, looked thin and seemed to dance in the water, like her Captain did, but was tough and surprisingly useful. 

“Stow it, Bismuth. There be a request from my scientific guest. This one wants to see her mates, and account for their health.” She motioned her hand behind her, to the Peridot that had gone from attacking her with a knife to clinging to her leg for protection from the much larger Bismuth. That was what a pirate was supposed to look like, after all, and Peridot did not want to be left alone in this horrible place with that one. 

Pearl grabbed the back of her uniform and hauled her up with surprising strength, putting her in front of Bismuth directly. Eeping, Peridot’s knees buckled together and she sank down a bit, crouching fearful as Bismuth stood over her, a very skeptical and unamused expression on her round face. 

“What, I’m baby sitting now? Or should I toss her in the cage with the rest of them?”

“Return her to me quarters when she’s had her fill. I’ve got a course to set.” Pearl waved her hand over her shoulder as she turned, leaving the brig. Peridot turned, yelling after her to stop, but she was gone before the words could leave her mouth. Swallowing hard, she looked back up at the much, much taller Bismuth, who was now grinning at her. 

\--------------

The Captain returned to the deck, looking up at the sky and heaving a sigh. The morning had not started well, she had to admit. Looking around the deck, she noted the conspicuous lack of one of her hands, imagining there were still two navigators in the crow’s nest. Rolling her eyes, she found she did not have the energy to climb all the way up there just to tease them and then let them continue what they were doing, so she left them alone. Instead, she walked up to the helm, where Amethyst was stationed and dutifully keeping the ship on course. 

A course that Pearl was about to change. 

“Hey, Stonefish,” Amethyst said softly, looking worried. She had seen the injury her Captain got for her troubles, rescuing that very ungrateful Peridot. Amethyst heard her yelling incomprehensibly all night long, locking the Captain’s chambers, though she had not known the Captain herself was not in there as well. She looked suitably tired for being kept up all night, after all, even if she had managed to sleep. “You doin’ okay, Captain?”

“I find myself tiring of such questions,” Pearl grumbled, looking over the charts set up on the table next to the wheel. She caught how biting her tone was, looking back at her first mate apologetically. “But perhaps I am just tired, in general. Forgive me, Amethyst. Tis not you that has my ire.” 

“I know, Cap.” 

The Captain sighed, looking back at the maps. 

“Set a course for the Capitol, First Mate. We’ve a meeting with her ‘Radiance’, to negotiate the release of her crew.” 

“I figured you’d say that,” Amethyst sighed, “so I’ve already set one.” 

Pearl looked at her in surprise, putting her hands on her hips and frowning at her with one eyebrow raised. Amethyst stuck her tongue out, knowing exactly what the look was for. Generally, Amethyst was not the most enthusiastic member of the crew, despite her rank as second in command of the vessel, and how important her role was. She was lazy, at the best of times, and preferred to be eating or sleeping to anything else. When she could get away with it, she often gave her duties to the others, or left them long enough that the Captain was forced to pick them up.

Her being proactive, then, was quite out of character for her. 

“I can be useful sometimes,” she grunted, “and anyway, if I hadn’t done it last night we would have just wasted a ton of travel time. Might as well cut down how long we have to have all those slimy loyalists in our holds.” 

“Aye, fine. I can take ye word for it, if that is what motivated ye,” the Captain said, but her soft smile said otherwise. Amethyst was worried for her Captain, seeing her injured, and always got a little more protective whenever Pearl took damage in her quest to rescue other gems while still maintaining a reputation as a fearsome pirate. Sure, they were going to ransom these idiots to their leader, but Amethyst knew that was just a contingency plan. The only thing her Captain had been thinking about at the time was getting these gems out of the water, and safe on her ship. Now, she was personally escorting them back home, so they could resume their lives. 

Yet they would only ever consider her a dirty pirate, who took them prisoner. They would feel lucky to have escaped without being shattered, and pledge themselves to ridding the seas of pirates all over again. 

The Captain would continue to sail, continue to help. Nothing would deter her from this chosen duty, and Amethyst was sworn to help her. Sometimes, she did not think the Captain truly understood how much that promise meant to each member of her crew. They all owed her a debt that could never be repaid, but every day they worked alongside her in the hopes of doing something worthy of the gifts she had given them. 

Amethyst was no different. If it weren’t for her Stone Fish, she would have been shattered at the bottom of the ocean by now. Forgotten. Eternally alone. 

Instead, she had life. She had friends. Family. Love. She had her Captain. 

“We will make land by nightfall, at the latest. The wind is with us, so we have good speed,” Amethyst shrugged, looking away from the Captain after becoming very aware that she was just staring. Pearl watched her thoughtfully, smiling. If their situations were different, if she could be open about who she was, then maybe the two would be more than just crewmates. It was just too dangerous, for Amethyst’s sake, to allow her to get too close. Looking away, Pearl rolled up the map and returned it to the bin beside the table, to keep it from being lost to the wind or rough seas. 

“Excellent work, Amethyst,” she said warmly, and the purple gem puffed up her chest with pride. “Ye continue to be a surprise, and an asset, even after so long. Now, ye must be tired from the night shift, so I will take the helm for a while. Ye be free to retire and rest.” 

The Captain placed her hands on the wheel, looking out across the horizon and feeling immediately calmed by the beautiful, calm seas that stared back at her. To her surprise, a timid hand came to rest on her arm, and Amethyst stood beside her, looking out across the distance as well. Her eyes were on the skies, rather than the water. 

“I think I’m okay. I’ll hang out here for a bit, if that’s okay, cap’n.” 

“Aye,” the Captain said gently, smiling as a strong wind filled the sails before them, urging them on toward their destination. 

\---------------------

“Mountain pirate! You’re MISSING members of my crew!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know there was a Captain in my presence. Forgive me for not managed to haul all of your sorry crew out of the water before the mergems got them. Oh, wait, that wasn’t my job, was it? You’re lucky we took the ones we found: I can’t believe you’re whining!” 

Peridot turned to look at Bismuth, and the large gem was surprised to see the scientist was struggling against tears biting at her eyes. Trembling, Peridot shook her head fiercely, motioning to the cages and the comfortable line of pillows where the poofed gems were resting. 

“You just left them out there?! How heartless can you be?! What if she was cracked, or worse?!” 

“Then we wouldn’t have been able to help her, anyway. Who are you looking for? A girlfriend?” Bismuth crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best not to feel bad for the little green gem. Sure, her Captain could be soft hearted at the worst of times, but Bismuth prided herself on running a tight, callous brig. One fitting a pirate. 

“A water gem! She is incredibly valuable to her Radiance, Yellow Diamond, and a critical part of our research! She was the only one capable of manipulating the water, so we could conduct our research without the danger swimming possesses! She is immensely powerful, and as a former member of Blue Diamond’s court, a potential mutineer!” 

“Then maybe she simply swam off when she saw the chance. Yellow Diamond did usurp Blue Diamond from these waters, did she not? You don’t just go acquiring other Captain’s crew and expecting them to be loyal. If that was how it worked, you’d be answering to Seaweed by now. Instead, she’s being awful nice to you. So stop testing my patience with your screeching.” Bismuth moved to grab the back of Peridot’s uniform, as the Captain had done. Except their difference in size allowed her to easily pluck the scientist off of the ground and hold her up like a misbehaving kitten. 

“She can’t swim! She moves the water! And PUT ME DOWN,” Peridot took a kick at Bismuth’s face, but her legs were far too short to even come close. Bismuth did not even have to move her from where she was holding her up, the kick having no chance of landing from the moment it was launched. Peridot rocked back and forth by her uniform miserably, sagging a bit as she gave up her struggles for now. Tears filled her eyes, and she looked at Bismuth miserably. 

“Why don’t you just shatter us and be done with it, sea rat?”

“That’s not the Captain’s way, though I’d be more than happy to. Look, if your friend was in the water, the Captain tried to find what she could, but that mergem attacked her. She grabbed you and got her butt out of there, which is more than I would have done for you.” 

“The Mergem… she was going to eat me,” Peridot said sadly, thinking back on it. She remembered waking up under water, seeing something big and orange floating in front of her, only to be shoved away by a small, deft little gem. She lost consciousness again after that, due to her gem, but she vaguely remembered the feeling of being hauled through the water. The Captain had fought off a mermaid just to rescue her? That made no logical sense, as these pirates had very little to gain from her rescue. Considering her research only barely began before the ship sank, she had little clout with Yellow Diamond, and would likely not fetch much as a bargaining chip. 

Without Lapis Lazuli, without her equipment and her tests, without any sort of results to present to her Diamond, Peridot was completely worthless, and utterly replaceable. 

“I’d like to go back to the Captain’s quarters now…” Peridot snuffled, and Bismuth sighed, patting her on the head with her free hand after tucking her under her arm. Peridot dangled listlessly, staring at the floor in defeat. 

“Yeah, yeah. Bismuth’s transportation service is up and running, I guess. I’ll take you back. Uh…” she looked down at the gem under her arm as she headed up the stairs, frowning in both vague annoyance and slight worry. “Sorry about your friend. Hopefully she’ll turn up.” 

Peridot, for once, said nothing.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of stuff happening here! Lapis Lazuli is rescued by the mergems Jasper and Rose Quartz, but is not too happy about it. Captain Pearl and her crew return the captive Navy officers to their diamond, and strike up a dangerous deal. A night of debauchery ensures, and even a little drunken sex! 
> 
> Far too little, if you ask Pearl.

Rose opened her eyes slowly, finding herself floating at the surface of the healing pools. Someone must have dragged her back into the water after she healed the badly damaged gem, and she imagined she knew who that had been. 

“My Queen?” Jasper’s voice was soft, which was rather difficult for someone with such a naturally gruff and gravelly tone, and Rose smiled softly as she rolled to regard the gem floating vigilantly nearby. 

“I’m fine, Jasper,” she breathed, though she was actually quite exhausted. It always took so much out of her, using her healing powers to such an extreme degree. But she was always glad to do it, if it meant saving a gem from being shattered. Even if it meant things would have to change for that poor soul, and sometimes in a way they could not accept. It was the only thing Rose could offer them, though, and she felt it was still better than the alternative. After all, they could still have a life.

Even if it was a new life, away from everything they knew before. 

The little blue gem in her hand glowed in the healing pool, where it had been returned after Rose Quartz lost track of it. She shifted in Jasper’s arms, who continued to support her and refused to let her go entirely, so she could watch the gem reform. Jasper watched as well, frowning thoughtfully. The Lapis Lazuli was small, her dark blue hair short and fluffy. She had sad eyes, which opened slowly, and she looked around the cave with a frown that did not look out of place. Something told Rose that this little gem was used to hardship. She did not seem scared, not at first, taking in her situation before she looked down at herself. 

Her eyes widened, and the confusion set in. 

Instead of her legs, dressed in a long, flowing skirt, she found a dark blue tail with shimmering scales, as if radiating with the magic that had created it. She let out a yelp, falling backwards as she struggled to understand the controls of her new appendage, kicking her tail and sending herself rolling out of the healing pool and onto the surface of the cave. 

“Wh-what?!”

Strong arms found her, pulling her gently into the larger water pool, where Jasper and Rose were floating. It was Rose that had a hold of her, carefully keeping her afloat. Instinctively, Lapis clung to her arms, looking up at the beautiful, large pink mergem in confusion and, finally, fear. 

“What have you done to me?!” 

“It’s okay,” Rose replied gently, soothing, “you’re okay. I’m so sorry, it was the only way to save you. You’re a Lapis Lazuli, aren’t you? A water gem. I… I guess moreso now than before.” 

Jasper glared at Rose, thinking it was not the most appropriate time to be trying jokes like that. Rose always had a habit of trying to ease a tense situation with humor, but it was just a part of her gentle, caring nature. She hated seeing other gems in fear or pain, and would do whatever she could to help them. 

“I… I don’t understand. Where are my legs?!” 

“Gone,” Jasper said quickly, before Rose could make another joke, “you’re a mergem now. Our Queen used her immense powers to save you. Your gem would have shattered without her magic, and you owe her your life. She gave you a part of her own essence, which is an honor very few share. You should be grateful.” 

“Grateful? You made me a monster! I was doing something really important! For the Navy, and now what? I’m a traitor? I’m a captive? What am I supposed to do, pledge myself to your ‘queen’, because she took my legs? You should have let me shatter! I don’t want anything to do with mermaids!” 

Before either Rose or Jasper could realize what was happening, they were thrown to opposite sides of the cave as the water around Lapis suddenly pushed out and away from her, creating massive, powerful waves that slammed both Quartz gems into rocky walls. Rose let out a short cry of pain before falling back into the water, while Jasper landed hard on the exposed ground of the healing pools with a grunt. 

Lapis dove under the water, using her powers to displace the water around her and propel her rather than trying to master the tail. Still, she was fast, and she disappeared into the tunnels before Jasper could get back into the water. 

\------------------------------------------

It took a few days before the pirate vessel pulled into the harbor, and the Captain was ready for her audience with the Diamond Authority. She had not technically made an appointment, but she imagined once they saw the present she was bringing them, no guard or noble would try to stop them. 

“Cap’n!” Bismuth grinned at her Seaweed, giving her a thumbs up, “the prisoners are ready. Got a bag of gems that didn’t manage to reform in time, too. Want to get this parade rolling?” 

“Aye, follow me lead. And no unnecessary roughness, Bismuth. I will be paying mind to ye, no matter how busy I may appear.”

“Sometimes you’re no fun, Seaweed,” Bismuth pouted, but the look was short lived and followed by a playful wink. She nodded and waved her hand dismissively, vaguely promising not to hurt the Navy prisoners unless they made her. She also had to adjust the threshold for what would justify a little roughing up: it was probably a little too easy to cross the line where she had it set now. Generally, she went for any excuse at all to put the Diamond Authority in its place. 

The Captain watched as Bismuth rounded up the captives, all of them chained together by handcuffs and one long chain that Bismuth took one end of, and Amethyst the other. Peridot was at the head of the line, looking furious and embarrassed before they even began their walk of shame back to Yellow Diamond’s stronghold. 

Bismuth patted her on the head, doing absolutely nothing to make her feel better. And messing up her hair. 

“Maintain watch, Sapphire!” The Captain called, and Sapphire, standing at the helm, saluted. Ruby was beside her, hand on a pistol at her side and a determined look on her face. They would have to watch the ship while the others were away, which was a big task for two small gems. Hopefully, they would be safe enough. The strange parade moving through the docks and market would draw more than enough attention away from the ship, as far as the Captain hoped. 

She leaped from the ship, not bothering with the ramp, landing hard on the dock and standing up with a cocky grin. She was dressed in her finest attire, which consisted of her usual layers and thick, poofy pants, along with a heavy coat with long tails, a multi-looped belt around it to keep it closed, with a sword and a pistol hanging in plain sight. She topped her bandana with a big tricorn hat, with pink and orange feathers in it. A string of beads hung down from her bandana, which was tied at the end with a large, shimmering pink scale. 

Gems gathered in the streets to watch the strange group walk, the long chain of Navy soldiers all with their heads down in shame and defeat as they were paraded through their hometown. This was port of call to many of Yellow Diamond’s main fleets, after all, and a lot of her gems lived in the fortress itself. They were common faces around here, when they had down time from service, so it was more than a little embarrassing for their friends and family to see them in this situation. 

But, Pearl thought to herself with a knowing smirk as a worried gem caught sight of her beloved in the chain, it was still better than being shattered. The stranger stopped short at the dirty look the pirate gave her, blushing and turning away.

They walked boldly, without being stopped, all the way to the stronghold’s gates. There, a booming voice ordered them to stop. Pearl, in the lead, looked up at the gate with her hand on her hip. 

“We come bearing gifts for her eminence, the radiant Yellow Diamond!” 

It was silent for a long time before the gates began to open, much to Pearl’s surprise. No further questions or demands met them, and she did not even get to pull her sword and wave it around in a spectacularly piratetical fashion like she wanted to. Vaguely disappointed, the Captain motioned for the crew to move again, Bismuth tugging on the chain to get the whole line moving again and nearly yanking the short Peridot off her feet by her wrists. It was like walking a very tiny dog, and Bismuth sighed heavily, remembering her orders. 

She had to play nice, and not mess with the little green brat too much.

Large guards greeted them at the main doors to the sealed fortress, and the Captain looked up at them without a trace of fear or intimidation. Citrines, she noted. Someone liked to keep her guard as fancy as possible, but she supposed it was to be expected from Yellow Diamond herself. It was said that she thought herself more powerful than White Diamond, and was already planning a coup for the rest of the Blue Diamond territories the lesser, beaten down Diamond was holding on to. She had already assumed all of Pink Diamond’s waters and lands, though insists she had nothing to do with her disappearance, and was simply stepping in as any good monarch would do. 

To take care of her realm, as Pink Diamond would want, she said. Sure, the Captain always thought ruefully. If Pink Diamond could see the terrible things Yellow did to her people, she would roll over in her grave. A small, burning flame of anger lit in Pearl’s chest, as she knew it would sooner rather than later, but she smothered it as best she could. Now was not the time to be challenging the most powerful Navy and cruelest tyrant in all the seas. 

No. Now was the time for bargaining. 

“Your Radiance,” the Captain crowed, as the whole group was led to the throne.Yellow Diamond kept her seat high above them all, too good to be on the same level as the ‘common’ gems that came to have audiences with her. Her already furious eyes burned hotter, gaze flicking to all the gems in the line, but landing heavily on Peridot. There they lingered for a long moment, though the green gem trembled and refused to look up at her out of sheer fear. The Captain cleared her throat. “Over here, their majesty. I take it a smart lass like ye can garner what brings a water rat like me to yer fine, fully loaded and pirate hating fortress of death and woe.” 

Yellow had a bit of a reputation for cleaning up her waters, and destroying anything she found unwelcome or unbecoming. Pirates did not stand much of a chance. And yet this one walked right up to her, and was standing before her like they were somehow equal. Yellow stared down at her in aghast interest, tapping her finger against the arm of her throne.

“Indeed,” she finally said, causing many in the room to gasp. The idea that she would even entertain a conversation with this ruffian, instead of immediately poofing her, was nothing short of a miracle. 

The Captain grinned, lifting her hand and waving it leisurely. Bismuth and Amethyst set about freeing the captives, Amethyst gathering up the chain and rolling it over her shoulder and under her elbow, to keep it neat. And useful, should she need it in a fight. She watched her Captain carefully, thinking she was being a little too careless in giving the Diamond so many more warriors to fight with, when they were limited to only three. 

“Where is the Lapis Lazuli I sent with this vessel?” Yellow Diamond asked, voice barely containing all the rage that was making her body tremble. Yet she restrained herself, just enough, and Pearl looked up at her sharply. 

“There be no Lapis that we found, Yellow Lady. Indeed, we gathered what gems we could, the rest are in the bag me security officer be carrying. But in it is no Lazuli, that be certain.” 

“Then you will return to the wreckage and find her gem,” Yellow said, not quite coolly. The Captain arched an eyebrow, then started laughing brightly. A murmur moved through the court, all the guards, attendants, and servants looking up from their tasks to stare in horror at the stupid gem that dared to laugh at their Queen. The great, powerful, and terrible Yellow Diamond. She snarled, the corner of her lip curling upwards in both annoyance and, to the surprise of everyone, mild amusement. 

“You have no fear, pirate,” she commented, and Pearl treated her to a wink. It did not have the same impact as it did the gem out by the dock, glancing off the cold exterior of the Diamond without any notice. “But I expect you to follow my command, if you wish to continue to sail your paddle boat in my waters. Do not think me unkind: you will be generously rewarded should you bring that gem back to me.” 

“And if I sail from here and na’er think of ye again?” 

“I will find you. And I will shatter you. Personally.” 

Three Citrine guards stepped forward, lifting axes and hammers in warning. Pearl eyed them, then looked around the rest of the room. At least six Amethyst soldiers, five Carnelians, and no less than ten Kyanites, recently acquired from Blue Diamond’s stolen realms, stood on guard and ready for a fight. All had their weapons drawn. Between all the combatants, though, the Captain also noted servants. High ranking attendants, including Agates and a Zircon or two. And Pearls. More than the Captain could count, all hard at work. 

Yellow caught her looking at them.

“My Pearls are beautiful, are they not? They come from the deepest oceans, though I’ve dried them out and properly trained them for service in a place as fine as this. Take one, if you fancy it, and do this task for me knowing you will be forging a powerful alliance.” 

“Though the offer be noted, I hasten to decline. The deck of a pirate ship be no place for a pearl,” the Captain said stiffly. 

“But you will take some of my crew, to ensure you accomplish your mission. Peridot, you will be joining them again, as the Lazuli was in your care. Do not fail to return her to me. There is no place for you here, without her.”

“Y-yes, my Diamond,” Peridot eeped out, the quietest, most demure and utterly terrified gem in the room. This being the same little creature that leaped on Pearl’s head with a knife not too long ago. The Captain frowned at her cowardice, but looked back up at Yellow Diamond. She put her hands on her hips, considering her position, then grinned broadly. 

“Then we must have an accord. I shall bring ye back yer lost Lapis, and in return, ye will let me and me crew sail free.” 

“So it will be,” Yellow said, through clenched teeth. 

\---------------

It did not take too long to get their ship out of the harbor and as far away from the fortress as the wind would carry them before nightfall. Though they had been at sea for a few hours now, the two opposing crews were still staring dubiously at one another. The borrowed Naval officers were listening to the Captain well enough, helping the others around the deck, but there was a dense tension clinging to the air of what should have been a lively, free group of pirates. 

Hopping up a top some of the rigging, climbing effortlessly and standing midsail, looking down at the crew, the Captain let out a shrill whistle that summoned the deck hands and crew members to stand under her. 

“So we be charged with a deadly mission to return to cursed waters, and dive for a gem we may na’er find, under the penalty of torture and death should we fail. Though the odds be stacked against us, we be the finest crew these waters have e’er seen, and now augmented by some of the proudest members of her Radiance’s royal navy. There be nothing to fear, and yet we will ruin ourselves if we cannot put aside what makes us different, and work together under one banner.”

Peridot had her arms folded stubbornly over her chest, rolling her eyes and groaning through the speech. She had no intention of following these dirty pirates, having already seen what they were capable of. True enough, the Captain had been kind of nice to her before… and even the security officer had a slightly gente side under all that muscle… but still. They were PIRATES. And they had insulted Yellow Diamond to her face, like only clods could. There was no way any of them were going to survive this, putting their faith in this ragtag, half drunk rabble of misfits and criminals. 

“First Mate Amethyst,” Pearl called, as Amethyst saluted her from the deck, “break out the casks, lass. There only be one way to truly welcome new members to this crew, even temporary ones. Let us revel and get to know one another as gems, free of control and status, rank and orders, for one night! Become friends, or don’t, but enjoy yersefl all the same! Tonight, we be pirates, and tomorrow, we can serve the Diamond Authority.” 

The pirate crew, and a few of the Quartz’ borrowed from the Navy, cheered for the Captain, who grabbed a rope, much to Sapphire’s ever increasing worry and dismay, swung back down to the deck. Peridot stared in wonder as Amethyst and Bismuth carried out large barrels of some sort of deep red liquid, which they freely and eagerly poured into mugs and glasses, and anything even vaguely cup shaped, to pass around to the crew. 

Pearl brought two goblets with her as she approached Peridot, offering her one of them with a lopsided grin. She knew the green scientist would be the hardest to win over, but she also knew her dedication to this mission came from a different place from the others. To her, it was not just an order. 

“To finding yer lost friend,” the Captain offered, mysteriously clinking her goblet to the one she handed Peridot. Peridot just stared at her in a confused stupor, not understanding any of this. And yet, there was already laughter filling the settling evening. 

\---------------------------

By the time night fully settled, it was easy to say the mixed crews were getting along just fine. Bismuth was sitting on the deck, against the rail, with a tall, yellow Citrine soldier on one arm and an exotic, blue Kyanite on the other. She was regaling them both with tales from their many adventures, and they seemed captivated by her. Ruby and Sapphire were making out by the helm, both well in their cups by now, while the Captain and Amethyst had retired to the Captain’s quarters after drinking their fill. 

Peridot had a little of the drink, but quickly realized she would lose control of herself if she drank too much. Apparently, none of the lesser intellectuals realized the effect the liquid would have on their physiology, and were all under the thrall of the intoxicating drink. She saw Bismuth, Citrine, and Kyanite fall all over each other right there on the deck, and let out a squeal of terror as their clothes started flying in various directions. 

Carnal relations, out in front of everyone else, in the open air of the ship?! What sort of heathens were they, and why were proud naval officers involving themselves in such debauchery?! 

Scurrying away from that sight, Peridot had to jump over a very drunk Carnelian that was sprawled out across the deck, singing to herself, to get to the stair case up to the helm. Behind the helm was the door to the Captain’s office, but first she had to pass the two small gems kissing each other and whispering sweet nothings as they did so. At least those two were both from the pirate crew, and were supposed to be acting like wild animals. 

If wild animals fell in love with one another, and liked to gently touch one another before moving on to anything more serious…

Hearing a loud cry of pleasure from down on the deck, Peridot was reminded why she was running for the Captain, and quickly slammed her fist against the door, assuming it to be locked. 

\----------------------------

“Slower, Amethyst, go slower,” Pearl gasped, as Amethyst rutted into her like something possessed. She groaned at how thick Amethyst was, never really forgetting it between the long spanses they went without giving in to their needs, but still always feeling stretched and tight because of it. It was not the longest thing the Captain ever had inside her, but Amethyst made up for that with her passionate movements, jackhammering her rock hard member into the eager body of her Captain without restraint. 

It took more than a good fucking to hurt her Captain, after all. And maybe Pearl liked it a little rough, as she never complained. At least, not about that. There were other things that Pearl was less fond of, like the way Amethyst almost never lasted long enough to bring the Captain to climax. 

“Amethyst, honestly,” the Captain was laughing breathlessly, clinging to Amethyst’s shoulders, her lithe legs wrapped around the wider, purple gem’s hips. They were still half dressed, both still wearing their shirts, but they could hardly get to each other fast enough. How long had it been since either of them had any kind of release? 

“I missed you, Cap’n,” Amethyst mumbled against her lover’s neck, biting and nibbling at her pale skin, slowing her pace at the other’s urging as best she could. 

“Nnngg,” the Captain replied, grinding her hips down, taking Amethyst as deep as their bodies would allow with each of her thrusts. Her head was swimming, the drink racing straight through her, despite her best efforts to play the powerful, in control pirate. She was still pretty much a lightweight, often pretending to drink more than she actually ever imbibed, if only for her own safety and control. Tonight, she let go a bit more than usual, resulting in her drunkenly clinging to the gem above her. Amethyst, the only one of the two of them that could shapeshift her body with the power of her gem, was always too happy to oblige her Captain. 

Even if she had no idea that Pearl was incapable of shapeshifting, and still had no idea what kind of a gem she was as she never took off her headband. Amethyst mostly just assumed it was actually connected to her head. 

Amethyst had picked up her pace against, Pearl’s tight walls gripping her too tantalizingly for her to not want all she could get. Pearl arched her body up, moaning loudly as Amethyst’s hips smashed against hers with each desperate thrust, seeking all she could drag out of her lover’s body and thensome. Honestly, she did want to get the Captain to orgasm, but her time to do so was limited. And Amethyst was always really bad at timing things. 

It did not help that a loud knock broke the heated peace of the room, cutting through their impassioned moans and urges rudely. The Captain groaned, unable to ignore it, though Amethyst continued her relentless pace. 

“Amethyst, hold on, just a second,” the Captain tried, her words stuttering only because of the power behind each thrust, punctuating her words in a way she had not been anticipating. “A-Amethyst-”

Another loud knock stole Pearl’s focus. 

“Just COME IN,” Pearl yelled in frustration, and let out a cry as Amethyst grabbed her leg tightly, pulling it and arching the Captain’s hips up with the sudden motion. She buried herself inside the other gem, and Pearl felt her lover’s orgasm, much to her own dismay. The door flew open and Peridot stormed in, but stopped short of complaining about the inappropriate scenes out on deck as she stared at the incredibly lewd one on the bed. Amethyst’s rutting had slowed, and she collapsed on top of the Captain in a panting mess, mumbling a distant apology before falling to sleep and snoring loudly. 

The Captain turned her gaze in irritation to Peridot, waiting for whatever it was that was so important she just had to interrupt them, but saw tears stinging the green gems eyes. Peridot turned and ran from the room without a word, leaving Pearl to stare after her in wonder, before debating how she was going to extricate herself from the thoroughly spent, satisfied, and still very drunk Amethyst. 

At least one of them had a good night. 

\--------------------

The Captain found Peridot hiding in the brig, sitting in one of the cells that housed the navy captives, but were now all empty. She leaned in the doorway of the cage, looking down at the shivering, crying little gem in wonder. 

Having recovered her pants and made herself presentable, the Captain moved to sit down beside Peridot, not touching her, but still staying closer. She felt guilty, in a way, to see her plan to unite the two crews had failed so spectacularly in this one case. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, and would likely be much friendlier to one another in the morning. 

The gloom that was clinging to Peridot, though, was unmistakable. 

“You care a great deal for this Lapis Lazuli, don’t you?” the Captain asked gently, not bothering with her usual pirate bravado and vernacular for the moment. It was too bothersome, most of the time, and in a one on one setting like this, it was more important to say what she needed to say, in a way that would be understood. Quiet, intimate, and honest. For a pirate, she believed in very kind and noble ideals, and conducted herself to a high standard. 

“I just think we should be focusing on the mission our Diamond gave us, and not… all this… this…” 

“Debauchery, I think you’re looking for. Most gems associate that word with the life of a pirate. But that’s not how it always see. Did you not notice the way my crew lit up when I gave the order? This is not how we live every day: this was meant to be special. To welcome your crew, and unite them with mine. I’m sorry it made you so upset, Peridot. That wasn’t the intention. I can promise you, though, come morning, everyone will be even more dedicated to finding your lost friend than before.”

Peridot listened, not noticing that the Captain was speaking with a graceful, quiet cadence rather than the gruff and daring tone of the pirate she barely knew. She snuffled, looking at the Captain reluctantly, trying to keep her tears from falling in front of someone she still considered her enemy. 

“Why do you think she’s my friend? She never even noticed me…” 

“Even better, then,” the Captain grinned, leaning toward Peridot and nudging their shoulders together, “when you rescue her, she’ll be very grateful to you, and see how determined and dedicated you are. It’s hard not to notice someone, when they’re risking everything for you. But you won’t be going it alone, that I promise. We will find this lost Lapis, but I don’t do it for your diamond. I’m going to do it for you, Peridot. So she notices you. And perhaps you can tell her what you haven’t said, and are regretting now.” 

“I…” 

Peridot could only stare as the Captain got up, watching her as she walked out of the brig and did not look back at her even once, just leaving the scientist to her thoughts and to mull over the implications of her words. Who was this Captain, anyway, and how could she possibly know so much about… any of this? Why were these pirates so terribly confusing and frustrating and… kind? 

\--------------------------

Agate ran across the entry to her Diamond’s court, panting and aching as she charged with the last of her strength up to Yellow’s throne. She looked up at her in dismay, arms hanging limp from the exertion of rowing herself all the way back from the wreckage to her Radiance’s fortress. But it was all worth it, to be able to report the disturbance to her leader, and bring those awful pirates to justice. 

“My Lady Yellow Diamond!” Agate cried, forcing herself into a deep bow despite how badly she was aching, “I have to report terrible news to you! Our research vessel has been sunk, and her crew taken captive by an unnamed pirate, a devil of a gem who delights in torturing-”

Why was Yellow Diamond staring at her like that? She was displeased? Agate took a step back, looking around the room and noticing some strangely familiar faces. The gems from the ship, somehow assembled here.

“Wha?” 

“Do you have anything useful to report to me, Agate, or shall I poof you for wasting my time?”

\----


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and her crew are out in Yellow Diamond's service, but only for a limited time before Yellow's true intentions become clear. Lapis Lazuli adjusts to her new life under the waves, while Jasper becomes an unwitting babysitter to the new gem. Their paths all finally come together, as a battle for the mergems unfolds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is absolutely my favorite thing I've ever written, and I hope you guys are enjoying reading it! Every post dump is fun, and challenging, and ridiculous. I'm just having fun, and I hope the readers are too!

“You can swim pretty fast for a tadpole,” Jasper grunted, looking winded as she floated in front of the exit to the large underwater cave the duo found themselves in. Lapis had done her best to get away from the other, but she was relentless in her pursuit. Worse, Lapis had no idea how to navigate down here, and was still using her powers more than her tail to swim. She had nearly exhausted herself, her gem growing dull and her powers weakening to the point of needing to stop. She took shelter in this cave, but Jasper followed her and was now refusing to leave. Without the ability to shove her out with a strong pulse of water, Lapis was stuck with her company. 

She would not be taken captive, though. If she had to crack her own gem, she would fight her way to freedom. 

“Get away from me, you monster! I need to get back to the ship!” 

“There isn’t a ship any more,” Jasper said with a frown, crossing her arms over her impressive chest. She swished her tail under her in irritation, the long, shark like fin churning through the water without any conscious effort from the mergem. Though she had not been one long, in the scheme of things, she had gotten quite used to her aquatic body. “It sank. And was pretty badly damaged even before it hit the sea floor. There’s nothing left: we looked. We saved everyone there was to be saved, but those pirates didn’t leave that many behind.” 

“Pirates?!” 

“Yeah, didn’t they sink your ship?” 

“No! You did!” Lapis yelled in frustration, sinking a bit in the water and finally just letting herself rest against a rock instead of trying to tread water with her arms and strange new appendage. She looked at Jasper with tears in her eyes, though the water itself was lost in the sea around her. Still, her eyes were rimmed with red, and Jasper could see how upset she truly was. She lifted her hands now, relaxing her stance into the closest approximation to friendly as she could. As a natural warrior, born and built for nothing but fighting and domination, it was a very difficult feat to pull off. 

She almost did it. Sort of. 

“I did? You mean the mermaids? No way, we don’t do that. Our Queen would not allow that. If you saw mermaids in the water, it was because they were curious. The natural ones, the pearls, they don’t see land gems that much.” 

Lapis growled, but something turned in her mind, and she considered the truth behind the strange gem’s words. Had there been mermaids in the water before they were hit? Yes, swimming around, flicking their tails. They were beautiful, and the Agates had been readying the nets to gather them. Lapis was standing off to the side with Peridot. Lapis tried to convince one of the mermaids to ride a spout of water she created up, so they could look at her, but the shy little pearl refused, and dove under the water with a giggle. 

Then there was an explosion, and fire broke out on the deck. Chaos ensued, the officers launching attacks on the mergems in the water. An explosion against the hull of the ship, just below where Lapis and Peridot were standing, sent them into the water. She tried to shield the green scientist with her powers, but her back, her gem, smashed into something hard. The rest was dark, and her memories ended. Her eyes flickered back to Jasper, but the marked difference in her aggression told the orange Quartz that the new addition to their ranks had calmed a bit. Maybe she figured out Jasper was telling the truth. 

“Those pirates were in the water. They must have attacked your ship. By the time we all got there, the ship was sunk and the pirates had taken all the crew hostage. There was a small one, built kind of like you, that could swim. She went to capture the peridot, who was trapped under water. I tried to protect her and bring her with us, but that damn pirate got away.” Jasper snarled, remembering the smarmy grin on that mysterious gem’s face when she was rescued by her crew. 

The next time they met, that devilish pirate would not be so lucky. 

“I don’t know if that peridot was okay. I think I saw her gem was cracked. Not much use to a pirate crew: they take useful gems to join their ranks, and throw the rest back into the sea for it to claim.” Or so the stories went. Jasper was not sure if she had heard that one as a soldier on the land, or here in the ocean. Pirates did not exactly have a great reputation in either society. Seeing Lapis flinch, Jasper frowned. “She… a friend?” 

“I was working with her! She had no idea what she was getting into: Yellow Diamond was… it… it’s not my place to say what we were doing. But Peridot was just doing her job. This pirate ship, can you help me find it?” 

“It’s been a few days, tadpole,” Jasper said dubiously, but Lapis surged forward, actually kicking her tail and, despite a veer to the left that she had not been anticipating, managed to close the distance between them and seize Jasper’s hands.

“Please? I’ll do anything.”

“Well. I guess. But first, we need to teach you how to use that tail of yours. You flopping around like that is not going to intimidate anyone: especially a land gem that knows how to swim better than you do.” 

\-----------

As the Captain had imagined, the night of fun and games had the crew in high spirits for the rest of the journey, working together and forming a surprisingly efficient team. She considered asking a few of them to stay aboard, though she would have to test their loyalties to the Yellow throne, just in case any of them thought about the bounty that would surely be placed on her head once this business was all concluded.

She did not expect Yellow Diamond to let her simply walk away once her usefulness was done. That was just not how tyrants worked. 

“These be the cursed waters where the first vessel sank. Let us not add carelessly to its numbers. Amethyst, man the helm. Crew! Stay on yer toes: there be more to these waters than folk tales and rumors. Mermaids there may be, but jagged rocks just below the surface and strange pools of sucking, turbulent waters be our main enemies today. Sapphire! Yer eye be invaluable to our safe navigation! Stay focused now. Ruby? Make yerself useful some place away from our navigator, if you please.” 

“Aye Captain,” Ruby said with a heavy sigh, though she gave Sapphire a knowing grin before dutifully hurrying to find Bismuth. Sapphire went to join Amethyst at the helm. The Captain walked the length of the ship, standing at its furthest edge and looking out over the waters with a distant, trouble look on her usually vibrant, playful face. Peridot had followed her, watching her quietly.

The tone of the ship shifted with it, but the determination and focus did not. Though they were no longer smiling, everyone aboard the pirate ship was focused on their task of finding the sunken ship, and conducting their search for the missing gem. 

\----------

Jasper took Lapis Lazuli back to the main chambers of the Mermaid royal castle. They were not too far from the healing pools, which were where the Queen spent most of her time when she was not conducting court in the great hall. For now, they had the space almost entirely to themselves, save for the Queen herself, who was sitting on her grand, coral throne and watching the two with a soft smile on her face. 

Holding on to Lapis’ much smaller hands, Jasper guided her across the hall, watching her form critically. She used to train soldiers to fight, but the delicate work of teaching a new mergem to swim was far removed. It required a much gentler touch, one that Jasper was still learning to utilize. It was why Rose Quartz chose to be there, watching over them both, to monitor their progress in different regards. 

“There you go, that way. Your tail is opposite to mine: don’t try and swing it like mine or you’ll just go in circles. You move more like the Queen: gracefully, like a ribbon. See? Since you’re so small, you don’t need all that power. How’s the gem feeling?” 

“Better. It’s easier like this, I think… I’m getting the hang of it,” Lapis said, letting go of Jasper’s hands again and kicking her tail experimentally. She was able to swim easily enough, though sharp turns and tactical movements were still beyond her. She needed more practice, but she supposed if this was how she was supposed to live now, it would come to her in time. 

Noting the sad look on her face, Rose left her throne and swam over to them, clapping her hands. 

“You’re doing so well, Lapis! You’ll be swimming with the grace of a pearl soon enough! Have you seen them when they swim together? It’s enchanting,” Rose smiled at her, putting her hand gently on the new mergem’s shoulder. Lapis looked away from her, though not out of respect. She had no real comprehension of who this ‘queen’ was, as she had only ever served her Diamond. Diamonds, now, she supposed. 

“Thanks, I guess,” she sighed. Jasper bristled at the casual display, but Rose spoke before the angry soldier could bark.

“But this isn’t something you want to be good at, is it?” Rose asked gently, taking her hand and holding it thoughtfully. “You miss your legs. You know, I was the same way, when I came here. And so was Jasper. Neither of us are from this world, but somehow we ended up here. I was saved by a beautiful, noble, brilliant mermaid, who lost her life because of it. I think about her every day, when I help other gems, like you and Jasper. My powers may seem cruel, taking you from the land, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Jasper can show you. You don’t have to stay here, Lapis, and hopefully, we can find your friend for you.” 

Jasper looked saddened as Rose spoke about the mermaid none of them ever brought up, not around her, not anywhere: as if the very sea would mourn should they ever speak of her out loud. 

Shaken, Lapis bowed her head to the Queen of the mermaids, nodding it stiffly, chin bumping her own chest with how deeply she was bent. She started to float forward, bumping into Rose, which just made her laugh radiantly. Embarrassed, Lapis chuckled, then found herself relaxing into laughter as well.

Jasper remained silent.

Blue Pearl came darting into the room, with the speed only a pearl in danger could achieved. Jasper moved in front of Rose Quartz and Lapis, as if to shield them, but instead simply intercepted the message from the sad, quiet mergem.

“The pirate ship,” Jasper growled, eyes lighting up with the fire of revenge, “it’s back.”

\------------------------

“I don’t think this is a wise idea, Captain,” Sapphire was saying, as Pearl stood atop the rail of the ship, looking out over the familiar waters. This was definitely where the ship sank, the Captain knew it. She had a sense about the water, and could navigate and locate anything once she had seen it once. To most, the water all looked the same, calm or under storms, but Pearl seemed to read something between the air and the sea itself. She looked at Sapphire and smiled reassuringly, an expression the blue gem rather distrusted by now. 

“How are we supposed to find a missing Lapis Lazuli, if we don’t go in the water, Sapphire? And since I’m the only one of us that can swim…” Pearl said softly to her trusted companion, keeping her voice low in case anyone wandered over to them. But even Peridot, who had been trailing the Captain like a lost puppy ever since their talk a few nights ago, was busy helping on deck. 

“You are still healing, Captain. And you strained your gem: you can’t risk-”

“I know my limits by now, Sapphire,” Pearl said sharply, though her eyes were soft and thankful. She understood the concern, even appreciated it, in its way, but she was still the captain of the ship. Her word was law, and she put her foot down even with her dearest friends when the need arose. No one could question their loyalty to the brave, albeit reckless, gem. Sapphire bowed her head, seeing herself losing this argument no matter what. 

“Just be careful down there, Captain. Pearl. We can’t afford to lose you. The crew rely on you.” 

“Aye,” the Captain said, taking off her hat and placing it on Sapphire’s head, the shorter gem looking up at her with her one eye. She could not help but smile, putting her hand on the hat and sighing softly. Pearl winked at her, keeping her bandana tightly secured around her gem. She shrugged off her heavy coat and a few belts, tossing them to the deck. She kept her weapons, a few knives and her sword. The guns would be useless under water, of course. 

Before she could dive, though, she saw a familiar ripple of water moving away from the hull of the ship. Peering down after it, then turning her head the other way to look down the other end of the ship, she slammed her fists down on the rail and hopped back down to the deck. She ran toward the helm, voice booming. 

“Prepare for battle! Ready the guns! We are under attack!” 

Sapphire, baffled that she had not seen an attack coming, but her mind now full of fire and danger, followed after her. 

\------------

Yellow Diamond reclined in her chambers as the small, dangerous vessel cut across the ocean in the wake of those stupidly infuriating pirates. That Captain thought she was so clever, parading her embarrassing army around the streets of her home like that, and taunting her, a Diamond, to her face. It was disgusting and deeply hurtful: Yellow could not remember a time when she was angrier. Considering she was angry almost every day, as it was something she was well known for, this was a very unique feat. 

One that required careful retribution, and the utter destruction of not just the offending Captain herself, but everything she loved. 

But first, she would use them to resupply her collection of those beautiful pearls. Mergems were so delicate, when they were plucked from their natural habitat and adjusted to fit in to polite society. They did not last terribly long, but the sea offered a never ending supply. The trick was just finding them, as recently they had gone into hiding to keep from being collected. As if they could escape her all seeing eye, and far reaching grasp. 

“My Radiance, Yellow Diamond,” a small, sharp voice said from nearby. Not used to turning her head to the side, rather than looking down, the smaller sized Diamond looked a little baffled as she found herself looking at her feet for a moment before finding the source of the interruption bowing to her from only a few feet away. Though she had masked her appearance with her powers to be closer in size to the others on the ship, she was still immensely tall, and dwarfed the cute Yellow Pearl that so dutifully attended to her. 

She had to admit, though she had no sentimentality within her, this one was her favorite of her current collection. But only because the rarest, most beautiful one had gotten away so many years ago…

“What is it?” she snapped, rousing from her dozing. 

“The pirates have stopped. We have reached our destination. Shall we ready the guns?”

“Yes. Mergems are attracted to wreckage. Let’s give them some flotsam to dig through.” 

The former mergem bowed deeper, then retreated to deliver her Diamond’s orders to the Agates and other dangerous, powerful soldiers aboard this most prestigious of vessels. She did not bring just anyone along with her when she went to sea, after all: only the best. And they were honored to serve her, knowing that was exactly what they were. The best, the brightest, and the most worthy. 

They would all die to prove themselves to their Diamond, which was exactly what she expected of them. 

\------------------

Jasper stared up at the strange pirate captain. She was standing on the edge of her ship, turned from the water and apparently having a conversation with one of her crew members, despite her precarious perch. Jasper wanted nothing more than to grab a sea rock and hurl it at her to get her attention, or perhaps her axe, but for now she could only wait. The Captain seemed to be turning her way, so she darted under water, swimming toward the front of the ship. 

Just as she did, an explosion rocked the stern. 

\--------------

“Mergems!” Ruby yelled, pointing at the waters, “a ton of them! There’s something big in there!” 

“That’s the least of our problems, Spitfire,” Bismuth yelled, snarling as something exploded against her ship. She built this thing up every time it was damaged, and she absolutely hated seeing it be attacked. “We’ve got someone in our wake, peppering us with canon fire! Let’s see you break through my paneling, you devils!” She yelled, rushing to the back of the ship and looking back over the waters, though she could not see what was responsible. It could not possibly be another ship, then, as there were none in range to hit them. 

“Do the mermaids have some sort of artillery under water? We’re taking heavy fire! Never seen anything like this!” 

“Forget about the mermaids,” the Captain yelled, leaping at the mast and clambering up to the crow’s nest. She looked out across the water and saw exactly what she thought she would, snarling. A small ship in the distance, presumably too far to be firing canon balls at them, but she had a suspicion that was not what they were dealing with. The attacks were coming from under the water. They had something else, something more powerful. 

But it was Yellow Diamond they were talking about. 

“Turn us about!” she yelled, as the crew scrambled below her. “Ready the canons! Bismuth! Get down to the bilge!” 

“Aye Captain!” she called, but her progress was stopped as her friends from the first night out, the Kyanite and Citrine soldiers, drew weapons from their gems. The other Yellow soldiers did the same, and Pearl cursed as she stared down at them, but she was helpless to do anything about it now. They were given more Yellow soldiers than her own crew: they were outnumbered even without the ship that was tailing them catching up.

\-------------------

“Their ship has stopped. It seemed to be trying to turn to face us, but now it is still in the waters. It seems our crew has taken control. Shall we board them, my Eminence?” Yellow Pearl looked up at the tall, beautiful Diamond standing beside her, both of them standing at the helm of the ship, though Yellow was hardly sailing. She allowed her crew to do the work, simply giving the orders. And this one she delivered calmly, not even looking at her loyal pearl. 

“Sink them.” 

“My Lady, Radiant Yellow Diamond,” the pearl eeped, straining against her training, her determination to be the perfect companion, “our crew are still aboard…”

“They have been tainted by those pirates, and are useless to me due to their exposure,” she said haughtily, not even knowing about the night of passion and play that some of her crew had indulged in. She just assumed being too long near pirates rubbed off on gems. “Sink the ship. Deliver my order, Yellow Pearl, or do you need another drying out session?” 

“N-no, my Diamond,” Yellow Pearl bowed deeply, but heard Yellow clear her throat, “my luminescent, g-gorgeous Diamond?” 

\-----------------

Pearl swung from the ropes of the mast and landed hard on the deck of the ship, hurtling herself at the nearest guard, who had Amethyst on her knees with their sword to her throat, and shoved her as hard as she could. The Carnelian looked startled, expecting an attack, but the Captain just pushed her out of the way and offered her hand to Amethyst. 

“Do ye really think yer Diamond is coming for ye? She be taking shots at the ship aiming only to sink it! If not for my engineer’s immense skills, we’d be scuttled already! Ye be nothing but expendable wreckage to yer Diamond, why else were you given this assignment? What was yer last one, before joining me crew? A failure? A disappointment? Were you in high regard with yer diamond before ye stepped foot on me ship? If ye were, then give me yer best shot, and fight me as an equal. If ye weren’t, then yer Diamond’s taken ye for a fool.”

The Captain held on to her first mate’s hand, but only because the other gem would not let her go once she heard her words. Standing up to Yellow’s officers was a dangerous thing, as they had no loyalty to the Captain. Not like her crew, who all owed her their lives in their own ways. Each story, each tie, brought them forward as she spoke. They pushed past the gems trying to secure them, standing around the Captain defiantly. 

Yet no one had their weapons drawn from the pirate’s side of things. Pearl had not given the order. 

The Kyanite was the first to falter, throwing her sword to the ground. 

It took another heavy blast, an explosion off the back of the side of the ship this time, to make the others begin to realize the truth in Pearl’s words. In the distance, the other Navy vessel had stopped, and was no longer drawing nearer to them. Just close enough to pepper them with canon fire, to sink them, but not to rescue anyone on board. 

\--------------

“Another ship is attacking the pirates!” Lapis called to Jasper, who was swimming back towards her in a hurry. 

“I saw. Seems our little Captain is not good at making friends with anyone. Good. Let them sink each other and we’ll be done with the whole thing-”

“No!” Lapis cried, grabbing Jasper’s arm. The much larger gem looked surprised, pulling her arm up, but taking Lapis with it as she refused to let go. “Please, Peridot must be on that ship!” 

“You don’t know that-” 

“But I don’t know that she’s not!” 

Jasper looked tense, growling softly, but the doleful expression on the blue gem was impossible for her to ignore. Maybe all this time around Rose Quartz was making her soft. The former soldier, general and revered leader of Pink Diamond’s army, would never have been won over by big, teary eyes. 

The mermaid? A little easier to convince. 

\---------------

Pearl leaned over the rail, seeing the mermaids swimming around their ship. What were those idiots doing? With the Yellow soldiers listening, or at the very least not getting in the way, the Captain ordered her ship to turn around and head for Yellow Diamond directly. Before even Sapphire could stop them, Pearl leaped off the side of the boat and into the water, leaving her orders with Amethyst and Bismuth to distribute. 

She sank at first, letting her body be welcomed by the water and not resisting its pulls under the wake of the ship. She adjusted for the movements of the ship above her, swimming only once it was passed her so she could avoid being damaged by the under tow. She looked around, spotting more mermaids than she had anticipated swimming after her vessel. It was all too easy to spot the big orange one, though, and she opted to chase after her. 

In the water, Pearl was at home, and she as fast. Though Jasper and Lapis were hauling tail to keep up with the ship, Pearl managed to close the distance between them. It was Lapis that looked back toward her, startled.

“Jasper! The pirate!” 

Jasper stopped, turning and snarling at the sight of her enemy. Pearl was expecting that look, grinning at her in much the same way as when they last parted and offering her a wink, waving cheerfully. She was not entirely surprised when the big gem lurched toward her, letting out a fluffy of bubbles instead of a yelp before diving down a bit deeper, deeper than she liked to dive, to swim away from her attacker. She needed to go up, to warn them of the obvious dangers, not down, but her choices were limited at the moment. 

“Get back here!” Jasper yelled, cutting through the water after the Captain. Lapis let her go, not strong enough in swimming yet to give chase but watching the pirate in wonder. She really was a land gem that could swim, instead of sinking to the bottom of the sea to be crushed or rot away. They were coming back up toward the surface, Jasper hot on the Captain’s tail, and Lapis decided to try and catch up to them, swimming as hard as her new tail would allow. 

Above them, the ships were close to one another, canons blasting on both sides, and showers of wood, metal, and other shrapnel raining down into the water. Pearl surfaced, looking down just in time to be grabbed by the throat as Jasper broke the surface with her, slamming her into the hull of one of the ships with enough force to leave her dazed. Kicking her feet, suddenly completely out of the water, the captain clung to the meaty arm attached to the hand currently trying to crush her throat. 

“Wait! I’m here to warn you! You need to get your gems out of here! Yellow Diamond is-- arrggh--” Jasper tightened her grip, her fury at her previous defeat by the cheating pirate making it impossible for her to hear the pleas. Lapis, on the other hand, broke the surface just in time to hear the warning. 

“Jasper! No! She’s right! Yellow Diamond is going to capture the pearls! We have to get them away from the ships! That’s all she wanted in the first place!” 

“WHAT?” Jasper roared, turning on Lapis in shock. The other had known that, but failed to let them know before they engaged on this wild goose chase to get her lost friend back? Had it all been a trap, then, to lure them into this fight and get them captured? Was that what they had tried to do the first time? Questions flooded Jasper’s mind, but she had very little time to ponder them, or to be as angry as she wanted to, before a thick, tightly woven rope fell over all three gems, scooping them up out of the water and toward the deck of Yellow Diamond’s ship.

\------------


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A massive fight breaks out between Yellow Diamond's Navy and Pearl's renegade pirates. Loyalties are questioned and tested, and a new alliance is forged, while an old enemy's heart blackens further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the little wait. Work is literally the only thing keeping me from writing this all of the time. Thank you for the comments and views so far, I really appreciate the feed back and it keeps me motivated! I am thinking about re-releasing or editing this story once its finished into a more reasonable chapter layout, as I know these big chunks of writing dumps might be a bit harder to get through all in one sitting. For now, though, enjoy the dumps. >>

The three gems were hauled up onto the deck with all the care of flotsam being retrieved from the sea. Dumped out of the nets, they were each grabbed by a guard, Jasper getting two just because of her size. The Captain was hauled to her feet, which actually left the ground as the massive Kyanite soldier offered no care or concern for how very small she was. In response, she landed daintily on her toes, looking at her surprised captor with a smirk before settling onto her feet and waiting for the inevitable gloating to begin. 

“Ah, Captain, there you are,” Yellow Diamond’s voice greeted her on cue, and she rolled her eyes, head dipping to the side as she lazily focused on the rather shrunken down version of the traitorous ruler that was clearly no longer her employer. Not that Pearl ever put any real faith in her ‘deal’ with Yellow. “Soggy, as usual. You smell like rotten fish, and it is entirely unpleasant having to stand down wind of you.” 

“You’re more than welcome to come a little closer. I think you’re catching the mermaid’s scent: I smell like roses. Promise.” Pearl grunted, the Kyanite’s grip on her arms suggesting she might want to shift her disrespectful tone. She declined to listen, sneering as Yellow Diamond remained where she stood a few feet away on the deck. Yellow Pearl stood beside her, eyes on the Captain with unfaltering attention. 

“I’d like to thank you for all your help, before I return you to the sea you love so very much. Without your-”

“Find the mermaids, sink the ship to draw them out, got it. Listen, can we skip this part? I get that it’s going to be your one win over me and you really want to enjoy it, but I’ve got a bit of a schedule running here, and places to be. How about you make me walk the plank, and we’ll both be on our way?” 

Pearl was not bothering to play the role of the pirate in her irritation. Not that she expected Yellow Diamond to notice, as the tyrant barely seemed to be listening to her. She looked very angry, though, to be interrupted by someone of not status whatsoever, and spoken to, regardless of context, in such a brazen and disrespectful way. She had her fists clenched tightly at her side, glaring at the pirate darkly. 

Her eyes flashed, though, and she seemed to calm herself with a thought. 

“You are a devious little thing, aren’t you?” she said, actually moving closer. The guard’s grip on Pearl’s arms tightened. Behind her, she heard Jasper growling, and assumed her restraints were likewise responding to their master’s approach. Yellow stopped in front of the Captain, looking down at her in two different ways with one ugly sneer. Pearl glared up at her stubbornly, then grinned. 

“Me? Devious? Perish the thought, my lady.” 

Yellow cupped Pearl’s delicate chin in her hand, tilting her face up to get a good look at the dirty, rough look pirate. Pearl grimaced, not liking the intimacy of the gesture, nor enjoying being scrutinized so closely. Pride demanded she not look away, though, blue eyes shimmering in the light of the clear, sunny day. Yellow actually smiled at her, though the look was hollow, and void of anything close to kindness. 

“Just why did you lead me here, if you knew what I wanted? Do you have no love of Mermaids, either? And yet here I find you swimming with two…” she motioned toward Jasper and Lapis, finally looking away from the Captain to take a look at the strange mergems her nets dragged in. She lifted her eyebrows as her eyes settled on Lapis, looking quickly back to a still grinning Pearl. 

“Completing my end of the bargain, of course. That’s the one you wanted, wasn’t it? And a new Quartz to add to your ranks, as well. Big brute of one, I might add, though you might want to trim her claws a bit before you put her to work.” 

“Damn you, pirate!” Jasper snarled, seizing forward but miscalculating a few things in her rage. The lack of legs, certainly, limited her ability to attack the Captain, who did not even turn her head in Jasper’s direction, and the two soldiers holding on to her slammed her to the ground before she could get anywhere, regardless. “I’ll shatter you! I swear it!” 

Pearl kept her focus and her calm, not letting Jasper’s anger or Yellow’s questions unsteady her. She could not afford to, walking a very delicate balance, and not yet seeing a place to strike or win back some ground. She used her cunning and her unshakeable cockiness to her advantage, the only weapons she had left, and as long as she kept Yellow guessing about her intentions she at least had a little leverage to work with. 

“Lapis Lazuli,” Yellow said, approaching the mergem, who looked up at her after a very long moment of staring at her feet. 

“My Diamond,” she said lowly. 

“I expected you to survive, but not quite like this. How on earth have you managed to become a mermaid yourself? Do you still have your powers over water? I can still use you, my dear, even in such a dreadful state. In fact, you may be an even better tool now… yes, you will be invaluable on my hunts like this.” 

“I was nearly shattered when you attacked the last ship you sent out here,” Lapis mumbled, knowing Jasper’s wild eyes were now turned fully on her, anger seeping into the air like heat from fire, “a mergem saved me. Turned me into this… it wasn’t part of the plan. I wanted to come back with the agates, as you ordered.”

“Ah, yes, my guns did get away from me the last time. So much fun, new technology. Ah, well, it’s in the past now. You’re here, and that’s what matters. I must say, I was not expecting that treacherous little pirate to make good on returning you to me. And now you must know where these sea worms keep their nest!” 

“Lapis!” Jasper snarled in warning, and no small amount of disbelief. 

“Yes, my Diamond,” Lapis said slowly, eyes dropping to the deck once more as her head drooped and her body lowered in a bow, though she was already sitting on her tail, “I do.” 

\------------

Sapphire stared out over the waters from the crow’s nest, using the specially designed eyeglass her Captain had gifted to her so many years ago to watch the scene on the deck. Though she could not hear what was happening, she saw Yellow’s attention wander from the Captain to the two captive mermaids. The rest of her crew were hard at work, a massive amount of gems for one small ship seeming to scuttle in and out of every shadow in the woodwork. They were throwing and hauling nets in and out of the water, some fishing up mergems, some empty. 

Amethyst had the ship sailing on a direct course with the smaller, but far more dangerous, navy vessel, while Peridot was loudly explaining all the reasons this choice would immediately kill them. Bismuth was taking care of the bilge and running repairs and gun preparations, with her new crewmates to help her. Kyanite and Citrine proved to be incredibly useful, knowing their way around canons. Ruby and Carnelian were on deck, doing much the same with the smaller, short range canons there. 

“The Captain’s on deck!” Sapphire called down, Amethyst grinning with relief. Of course she had believed her Captain would be fine, but it was always nice to be proven right. The Captain did have an annoying way of being wildly unpredictable, some times. “There are soldiers everywhere! I see a Jasper mergem and a Lapis Lazuli mergem as well. The Captain was brought up from the water with them.”

“Aye, Sapphire! Good! Okay, let’s go say hello, then.” 

“Did she say Lapis?” Peridot grabbed Amethyst’s arm, the purple gem eying the grip with vaguely patient irritation.

“Gonna need that arm, Peri.” 

“Peridot,” the green gem corrected absently, as she hurried away from the helm and across the deck. 

\-----------

Blue Pearl swam as quickly as she could to reach Rose Quartz’ chambers. It seemed her efforts to warn the Queen, however, were unneeded. The whole kingdom was in a frenzy, every kind of mergem, from the pearls to those adopted through the Queen’s magic, were rushing to either help in the fight against Yellow Diamond’s Navy, or to hide away from their homes just in case a raid was soon to come. Rose was directing the evacuation and the attack, and was surrounded by gems looking for orders and guidance. 

“My Queen!” Blue Pearl called, as loudly as she could. The sound had no chance against the rabble, as even at her loudest, Blue Pearl was hard to hear. She was straining with all the activity, preferring calm and quiet to the frantic scrambling going on around her. Shivering, she could only yelp as a bigger gem jostled her as they swam past, until a gentle, warm hand fell on her shoulder. 

She looked up, eyes obscured by the thick mop of hair on her head, but she somehow managed to see through it.

“My Queen. Jasper has been captured, and the new Lazuli as well. Many of our pearls are being targeted and captured.”

“She’s collecting again. I thought that was the case. Alright, I’ve already gotten most of the pearls to stay away from the ship and go into hiding. Yellow has never been able to access the caves, so they’ll be safe there. You should join them, as well.” 

“Yes, my Queen, but…” 

“I have to meet with the Quartz regiment, and make sure we have enough strength to stand a chance of getting our gems back.” 

“My Queen…” 

Rose was already swimming away, her orders issued, and Blue Pearl, surprisingly, found her voice. 

“Rose! Wait!” She covered her mouth, startling herself, and Rose Quartz looked at her with more amusement and wonder on her face than anger. She stopped to listen, though, almost apologetically swimming back to the little, shy pearl. “The pirate is with them, as well. I thought you should know.” 

Rose felt the color drain from her face, but she valiantly hid it with an authoritative nod. She swam away much quicker this time, and Blue Pearl watched her go, tempted to follow. Instead, she followed the orders she was given, and retreated to the safety of the deep, labyrinthian caves that ran under the sea bed of their homes. 

\------------------

Yellow Diamond was smiling. It was a very rare treat, as Yellow Pearl looked on in wonder, to see her so happy. She was holding Lapis Lazuli in her arms, the blue gems long tail draped over her arm. Lapis looked embarrassed and strangely defeated, though Yellow Pearl could not fathom why. The attention she was getting! The way their radiant Diamond was looking at her with full attention, with intention, was something that the little pearl longed for. 

But she could never be as useful to her Diamond as a water controlling mermaid, not for her purposes. It was unfair, really. Lapis had not even belonged to Yellow Diamond until recently, and now she was clearly the favorite gem. Stewing in her jealousy, Yellow Pearl did not notice the Captain standing just to her left, arms folded over her chest in irritation at the dopey look on the servant’s face. 

“Guess you can’t think of anything better for yourself, eh? This drying out process of Yellow Diamond’s, it really works a number on your gems. Look at you, a beautiful mermaid, bound to the land and utterly brainwashed.” 

“I hardly need advice or judgement from a ruffian like- how are you free?!”

Yellow Pearl turned abruptly, spotting the Kyanite that had formerly been acting as the pirate’s personal handcuffs now a shimmering, rather beautiful gem on the deck. The Captain showed Yellow Pearl the knife she always kept on one of her many belts, winking at her teasingly. 

“Like I told Yellow, I’ve got things to be doing. Can’t wait all day to be thrown overboard, when I can just expedite the process. Anyway, my ride should be here in a few short moments.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, and Yellow saw ragged, dirty sails growing ever larger behind the far too confident Captain. 

“MY DIAMOND” Yellow Pearl screeched, scrambling away from the Captain in a flurry of barely controlled limbs, almost falling over herself as she skidded to Yellow’s side. The Diamond looked at her sharply, stopping her cold in her tracks. She bowed deeply, shivering. “The pirates are sailing straight to us!” 

“Let them come: I have the greater power, the technological advantage, and I hold their Captain as my hostage.” 

“About that,” Pearl chimed, having climbed half way up one of the ship’s sails, holding her knife in her hand and waving down to the Diamond. Soldiers were already trying to catch her, climbing up the rigging. She was faster, though, her lithe frame making short work of the climb while the heftier Quartz soldiers below struggled to haul themselves up quickly. Pearl cut free a few ropes, then leaped from the sails. 

“AFTER HER!” Yellow’s voice boomed across the deck, Lapis clinging to her as she was almost dropped. The honeymoon was over, it seemed, but Yellow managed to keep a hold of her and shifted her to one arm. Their difference in size made it relatively easy, as Lapis did not weigh all that much in the scheme of things. 

\---------

Bismuth watched the hull of the Navy ship growing closer through a porthole, grinning crookedly and looking at her two new deck hands. Citrine looked down in the dumps, but Kyanite looked back at Bismuth with a fire burning in her deep, navy blue eyes. 

“Open fire, mates! Let’s see how strong their hulls are, eh? Think they can sink my ship? Not today, they won’t! Not while I’m here!” 

\----------

Pearl leaped from the rigging as the ship rocked under a concussive blast of canon fire. If the soldiers were not scrambling before, they certainly were now, torn between catching the rogue captive and returning fire on the pirate ship currently pelting them with canon fire from just above the water line as well as from the deck. Ruby and Carnelian had opened fire a moment after the first blasts from below rocketed forward. 

The fabric of the largest sail rattled and came free of the mast itself, falling heavily over the deck like a far too thick blanket for the season. Pearl hurried out from under it while the others struggled, running past Jasper as she went, too dead set on her goals to be distracted and completely missing the big gem lashing out until it was too late. Jasper caught her by the ankle, tripping her in the darkness the tent of the sail provided. 

“Not the time!” Pearl grunted, kicking at Jasper’s clawed hand in irritation. Jasper, unable to do much on the deck due to her heavy tail, could only snarl and swipe at her before losing track of her completely. The very angry roar told Pearl that this was not a problem that would be going away any time soon: she was going to have a mermaid stalker for a while once all this was settled. At the rate things were going, anyway. But maybe she could temper that rage just a little bit. 

Using her knife, Pearl opted to cut a hole through the very thick fabric and free herself that way, popping up and running over the surface of the sail, using whatever bumps of bodies she found as stepping stones. She hopped off of one particularly big bump to the railing of the ship, looking over its edge with a keen balance despite the rocking from the canon fire. Hissing, she saw the nets that were tied all along the rail, captive pearls and other mergems struggling to free themselves as they dangled. Trusty knife in hand, Pearl ran to each net, cutting them free and dropping them back into the water.

Electricity exploded from the fallen sail, burning away a large hole as Yellow Diamond stood, bright bolts of yellow lightning coursing around her, snapping in the air and crackling with dangerous power. Lapis was on the ground at her feet, and Pearl saw her moan in pain, having taken a heavy dose of the electrical power without regard from her Diamond. When Yellow was angry, she cared about nothing around her, and certainly not a ‘tool’, as she herself had called her precious Lazuli. Growling, Pearl turned from the last net as it dropped into the water, standing gracefully on the edge of the rail and regarding Yellow with her ever present grin. 

It was always a good mask for when she was feeling nervous. Her mind was working once again, taking in the mess of the deck, those still struggling to be free from the sail and those who had figured out they could cut through it. Claws tore their way through the fabric not too far away, Jasper poking her fluffy head up and looking around wildly. 

“You dare have your crew attack a Diamond?” Yellow roared at Pearl, holding up a gun. Her electricity pulsed around it, focused and controlled, and the Captain immediately knew this was not a bullet she wanted to take and add to her collection once it was removed. She held her knife at her side, tapping the blade idly against her hip. 

“You’ll have to take that up with my first mate, I left her in charge,” Pearl grinned, feigning innocence. Yellow fired at that prompt, Pearl dropping to the deck in anticipation of it and running, low and deftly quick, toward Yellow. Instead of attacking, knife flashing in movement but only because Pearl returned it to her belt, she scooped Lapis up and leaped away from the enraged Diamond, another bullet smashing into the deck where Lapis had been resting. Pearl rolled, missing that bullet by only a fraction of a moment, but feeling the intensity of the electricity coursing around it. She skidded to a stop, setting Lapis down. 

Though Pearl had no idea what side Lapis was on, after all of that, she still would not let her be injured or killed because of this battle. Pearl was responsible for the lives of every gem she dragged into her fight, regardless of who they were fighting for, and she bore that promise with a gravity none ever saw in her performances as the Captain. With a daring sneer as Yellow turned to look at her in shock, Pearl darted to the rail and tossed the still barely conscious Lapis into the water. Yellow screeched in anger and hatred, not only losing all of her new mergems, but her Lapis was once again gone. She had nothing to show for two sunken ships now, as this one was already beginning to take on water. 

\--------------

Even so, Yellow’s soldiers were relentless in their canon fire at the pirate ship, and Amethyst was struggling against the tide. The odds were shifting against them, and when Amethyst saw Bismuth come up from below, waving toward her, she knew the news was not good. She looked toward the Navy ship, shaking her head. 

“We can’t take much more, Amethyst!” Bismuth barked, “we don’t have the ammunition, and the hull’s being torn to shreds! Too much longer and we won’t be sailing out of here!” 

“I know, but the Cap’n is still-”

“Captain’s orders were to sail without her once the guns ran dry. We both heard it. You know the plan, Amethyst. Don’t sink us.” Bismuth stopped beside Amethyst, putting her hand on the wheel and staring down at her daringly. She had always been a challenge, since the day she challenged the Captain in an attempt to take over the ship and save her pride after being defeated. Pearl’s strength and heart had won her over, but Amethyst always worried it would not always be enough to keep Bismuth loyal. 

“You are just going to abandon her, after everything?!” 

“You don’t think she’ll get out of a little scrape like this? I’m not going to waste my time worrying about the Captain when we have holes bigger than you in the side of our ship. The Captain will be fine. Get us out of here, Amethyst.” 

The first mate glared at Bismuth, then moved to put her hand over the other’s on the helm, turning the wheel. 

“Crew!” she yelled, to everyone on deck that could hear her, “prepare to sail! Retreat!” 

\--------------

Peridot, on the rail of the ship and almost leaping into the water herself, saw a blue body drop from the ship and splash lightly into the water below. She was so sure it was Lapis, she very nearly threw herself into the sea, but having already experienced what would happen to her made her still herself helplessly. 

“LAPIS!” 

The ship turned, and Peridot lost sight of the small trail of bubbles left behind as Lapis sank.

\--------------

“You’ve ruined EVERYTHING,” Yellow Diamond snarled as she stalked closer to Pearl, who was backed against the rail she just threw Lapis over. She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You helped a little. Being so damn greedy and stupid, it’s really hard not to ruin your day.” 

“Why?” Yellow held the gun, aiming at Pearl. Her arm was shaking with her rage, but somehow Pearl doubted that would hurt her aim too much at such a short distance. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

Turning to look behind her, Pearl saw her ship turning away from the battle, sailing past this side of the Navy ship, which was beginning to tilt downwards as it sank. It was slight, the strong ship stubbornly churning water to keep itself afloat despite the beating it took, but it was inevitably a losing battle. Pearl returned her gaze to Yellow, eyes darkening and a frown crossing her usually grinning and upbeat, confident face. 

“You deserve it. Everything, anything I can do to ruin your plans, to make you hate me, I will do. I want to be in your nightmares, like you are in mine, and I want you to think of me every time you feel fear, or anger, pettiness or jealousy. I want you to know that I will come for you, every time you raise your hand against the waters, or try to claim something that’s not yours. I will take back from you everything. Everything you’ve stolen. I will repay every debt you’ve made. Avenge every death.” 

Yellow lowered the gun for a moment, looking startled. Maybe even scared. Just who was this pirate? Suddenly, Yellow realized that she was not looking at an unknown annoyance, or a new problem. She was looking at something that haunted her endlessly, in the corner of her vision at all times. Every battle, even the ones Yellow denied ever happened, this little devil was not far behind. 

Like a wraith. A speaker for the ghosts from her past, and there were many, many angry ghosts to be found there. Yellow fired her gun in fear, the bullet missing and Pearl leaping up on the railing, hoping to jump onto one of the ladders on the side of her ship as it sailed past. She would miss her chance if she waited any longer, but she stopped as she remembered one more gem she had to rescue. 

Great. 

Heaving a massive sigh, Pearl darted from the rail and back onto the sail covered deck, much to Yellow’s confusion, who was already firing at the ship. She turned and Pearl slammed into her in a tackle, leaping away after only a moment of contact to avoid any attempt at electrocution. She needed the momentary distraction as Yellow tried to get herself back to her feet to run over to Jasper, who had fought off the soldiers around her and took a swipe at Pearl as soon as she got close. 

“Cut it out, you big ogre!” Pearl snapped, grabbing on to her arms. “What are you doing, taking a nap? Shift some goddamn legs and get out of here!” 

“Mergems can’t shift legs, you idiot!” 

“Who told you that? Your nanny when she was tucking you in at night? That’s an old wives tail to keep little pearls away from the shores and out of temptation! You’re not a natural mergem, you still have all of your land gem powers! Stars, if Rose told you to swim in a lava pool, would you do it?” 

Jasper stared at the pirate, a hundred questions leaping up into her mind in one moment. She ignored all of them, though, and focused on her powers. Infuriatingly, the Pearl was right. Though it took far more power than Jasper ever remembered shape shifting taking, she was able to change her tail into legs, something she had not had in years. Pearl was already hauling her to her newly rediscovered feet, supporting her and half dragging her toward the rail. Jasper found walking to be cumbersome now, but she remembered how just fine, stumbling only a few times as she ran to the edge with the pirate. 

“No! No! You will not have the last mergem I have! You will not take everything from me!” Yellow screeched. Lightning slammed into both Pearl and Jasper, sending them crashing across the deck. Yellow used her powers without the gun, burning crackling lines across both gem’s skin. 

“Blast,” Pearl groaned, struggling to her feet. She darted away from Jasper, leaping over the rail of the ship without hesitation. 

“Pirate!” Jasper snarled, realizing she had been abandoned just when she was starting to trust the strange, confusing little nightmare of a Captain. She thought maybe she had misjudged her, but clearly a pirate would always be a scoundrel. Getting to her feet, she was greeted by another bolt of electricity the returned her to the deck, two Kyanite soldiers running over to grab hold of her. 

Holding on to one of the ropes left behind when Pearl cut the nets free, she dangled for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. Taking a steadying breath, she swung from one rope to the next, until she figured she had enough distance and climbed her way back onto the railing. She was behind Yellow Diamond now, and leaped at her back. She climbed the less than regal leader of the Gem world like a jungle gym, wrapping her lithe legs around Yellow’s upper body and her arms around the Diamond’s neck. She poised her knife over Yellow’s gem, over the center of her chest. 

“Let’s all calm down for a moment, hm?” Pearl said evenly, looking at Jasper. The Kyanite guards released her, and Pearl nodded toward the water. Jasper, caught between anger and confusion, paused for only a moment before leaping off the ship, shifting her legs back into a tail just before splashing into the water and diving under the sinking navy vessel. She turned, swimming back up to the surface some distance away, in order to see what was happening on the deck. 

Pearl was still wrapped around Yellow, but the Diamond seemed to have snapped. She lifted the gun and pressed it to Pearl’s gut, despite the way Pearl was yelling and threatening with her knife. She even pulled her hand back as if to stab the Diamond’s gem, but Yellow fired and Pearl was thrown from her shoulder in a blast of electricity. She fell overboard, and Jasper dove after her, momentarily blinded as a flash of white light pulsed through the dark, wreckage filled water. 

Opening her eyes slowly, Jasper looked for the Captain. Instead, in the center of the radiant light, was the most beautiful pearl Jasper had ever seen. Her tail was long and full, with beautiful, rainbow tipped, lacy frills extending out into the water, as if becoming a part of it. Her scales shimmered with a light almost too intense to look at, her perfect skin a soft pink against the luminescent scales that danced along her back, her neck, her arms and shoulders, and her bare chest. Her hair was long and a soft peachy color, and settled in her forehead was what might have been a beautiful gem, had it not been terribly cracked. 

All at once, the light faded, and Jasper was forced to blink. She found herself staring at a sinking, unconscious pirate, the vision of radiant beauty gone almost as soon as it appeared. Surging forward, Jasper caught the sinking gem as carefully as she could in her big, clawed hands. The bandana that was usually all but glue to the Captain’s head was gone, and Jasper saw a pearl that had been hiding under the fabric for so long. 

It was cracked. And with a pulse of electricity that suddenly coursed through her from the bullet deeply embedded in her body, the crack deepened. 

\--------------


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots and lots and lots of backstory revealed as Jasper and Pearl hang out for a bit on a nice coral reef.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS IS SO TALK-Y. We'll get back to the action soon! As always, thanks for reading!

The first thing she noticed was a shadow looming over her as she struggled to open her eyes. She could almost feel the weight of it, someone leaning close. She was resting on her back, though whatever was beneath her was not particularly soft or comfortable. Grimacing, she opened her eyes slowly, not managing to get them more than half way open before feeling like she wanted to close them again. At least it was dark, only a soft light greeting her and not enough to hurt anything further. With profound effort, she forced herself to sit up, having immediately forgotten about that looming shadow and bumping directly into its source. Their heads met, and Pearl let out a cry of surprise and pain, flopping back and gripping her already cracked and exhausted gem. 

A very frustrated growl met her ears, and she peeked one eye open from under her clasped hands. She saw the big orange mermaid from before staring at her, looking impossibly annoyed and yet, somehow, mildly relieved in the same moment. 

“You’re awake,” Jasper pointed out, with a grunt as she rubbed her own head. 

“One would have thought you’d notice sooner, considering you were staring at me. What were you looking at, if not my beautiful face?” She drew her hands down, sighing as she tried to sit up again. To her surprise, a big, clawed, orange hand gently supported her back and helped her to remain upright. 

“Your injury. I’ve never seen anything like that. You should be poofed or shattered by now, but here you are. Annoyingly stubborn even when you’re unconscious.” 

Pearl looked down at herself, seeing the damage Yellow Diamond’s gun had left on her. There was a nasty looking hole torn into her midsection, but the bullet had not managed to pass all the way through her form. Instead, it was lodged inside her, pulsing with electricity. Though she had been out cold for it, it had been shocking her now and then, if Jasper moved her in the wrong way. Thankfully, at least for Jasper’s pride, Pearl had not been awake to see her panicking whenever those sparks went off. Though she had once been pretty certain she hated the rogue pirate, she now had a debt to repay. 

Killing her by accidentally shocking her too much and shattering her gem would not be the best way for her to repay that debt. 

Sensing that heavy stare again, Pearl lifted her bright blue eyes from her injury to find intense, burning gold ones leaning close. 

“Oh, so now you’ve noticed my face, huh?” Pearl grinned, but she could easily see that Jasper was staring at her gem. She lifted her own hand to it thoughtfully, running her thumb lightly over the familiar crack. There were new lines and fissures lacing around it, and she could feel the damage had gotten quite extensive. 

Sapphire would be furious.

“You’re a pearl,” Jasper said.

“Strong and smart. I’ve landed a keeper,” Pearl sighed, leaning back on the rocks. She looked around to see a rather familiar reef under the rocks she was resting on. Her hair and clothes were dry, and she imagined she must have been out for a while for the tide to be so low in this special place. How had Jasper managed to find the reef on her own? Pearl’s memory was foggy, at best, following being blasted off the navy ship and into the ocean. 

“That makes you a mermaid. Did you belong to Yellow Diamond?” 

“I have not belonged to anyone, and I never will,” Pearl snorted, growing serious. She looked at Jasper thoughtfully, then sighed and sat up, with difficulty, again. She swung her legs over the rocks, dipping her feet into the water where Jasper was half submerged. She was mostly perched on the rocks beside where Pearl was resting, though her tail was kicking idly in the water. “Boy, I’ve got a lot of explaining to do, eh? Don’t suppose you’ll let me get away with keeping all my secrets and just thanking you for saving my life?” 

Jasper’s intense stare barely shifted, except for her eyebrows furrowing just a bit more. 

“Right. Well. Let’s see…” Pearl shook her head slowly, touching her hand to her gem again, but this time it was a thoughtful gesture. As if the action helped her to remember something, “I was not one of the poor pearls Yellow Diamond stole, and dried out, no. I lost my tail when my gem was cracked, during a very terrible battle against Yellow Diamond.”

Jasper listened carefully, watching the pirate Captain in wonder. At the moment, she was less insufferable than she had been so far, and it was oddly relaxing. Maybe just knowing Jasper owed her life to this strange little gem was enough to calm her anger, as she was dutiful and loyal at heart. An honorable warrior and soldier, she would at least ensure Pearl’s safe return to her crew. 

“I was young, back then. I suppose that’s stupid to say, considering how long our lives are. More appropriately, I felt young back then. Happy. We never asked for a large spot of the world, living happily under the waves, in our little kingdom no one would ever even see without our powers, an invitation. We had to take any land gems down to our homes, after all, since you’re all useless as swimming. We were safe, and peaceful, but some of us were curious. At the time, more and more land gems seemed to be ending up in the ocean, poofed or cracked, sunken and left to die. We began to find them, to find wreckages on the surface, or even follow battles, and save what gems we could. Sometimes we could just return them to the land, and let them choose their own fate, while other times we had to choose for them. You’re familiar with that, obviously.”

Jasper nodded her head, giving her tail a thoughtful flick. 

“I was brave. Most pearls knew better than to go to the surface outright, especially without the cover of night or a battle to distract the land gems above. Even swimming with the ships was dangerous, as Yellow Diamond was already feared as a pearl collector by then. I would never have imagined how much worse she would get. But remember, I was young. And stupid. Some things don’t change, I guess.” She took a breath, looking up at the darkening sky. 

“For a very long time, Blue and Yellow Diamond shared the land and the waters here. Their alliance was informal, and sometimes tense, but it remained for ages. Then a new Diamond appeared, gifted a large chunk of the Authority’s conquered lands by White Diamond herself. Most of those lands, I might add, were taken by Yellow’s brutal forces. Maybe rightfully, she considered them hers, even if she won them under the banner of the Authority. White Diamond disagreed, and gave them to her new favorite ruler. Pink Diamond was so radiant, she seemed to bring the sun with her whenever I saw her. She built her first stronghold on an island near enough to our homes that I could swim up without anyone missing me. There was a little pool, around the back of her base, that I could hide in, connected through a long cave into the depths of the ocean. I would watch her, and the goings on in the stronghold. Blue Diamond visited often, and the two were forming a very strong alliance. Maybe Yellow was threatened by their friendship.” 

“I was stationed at that base…” Jasper said softly, looking distant, eyes misty, “I served Pink Diamond. I was her general. Whenever she managed to slip from my guards… she was visiting that pool, wasn’t she?” 

“You catch on fast,” Pearl offered her a sad smile, thinking back. She remembered the Jaspers and other Quartz guards in the base, of course, and she remembered one cranky general in particular. But that was yet another story, for another time. “She caught me once, and though I swam away from her, she would come back to the pool and wait for me to return. I would hide under the rocks, looking up at her from where she could not see me. But she seemed so honest and kind, singing softly and even talking to the water like she knew I was there. Eventually, I just had to surface to talk to her. And spoke for the first time. Then so many times after… I ended up sharing with her a lot of mermaid culture. Things I probably shouldn’t have let a land gem see, especially one of their rulers. Though she and Blue Diamond seemed to care about the mergems, and wanted to help us, even become our allies, Yellow and White did not share their soft hearts.”

Pearl struggled to continue speaking, and for a moment Jasper thought it was her injury. She moved closer, lifting her hand in concern and hovering over Pearl, only to find her silenced by tears, not pain. Jasper found she had no method of processing seeing the pirate Captain so… sad. She tried anyway, placing her hand very gently, or as gently as she could anyway, on Pearl’s arm. 

“I was there the night Pink Diamond ‘went missing’. You’ve heard that story, I’m sure, since you worked there. Stolen by the sea, blamed on the mergems. Killed, or worse. Did you ever believe that garbage?”

“I had to,” Jasper said, after a long moment, “it was the only thing we had. I always hoped I would find them, and get her back. Obviously, I don’t believe that any more.” 

“Yellow Diamond attacked her,” Pearl said blandly, opening her eyes. “Shattered her. I met her on the beach that night, not our pool. I should have gone to the pool. Yellow would not have found her if we… she turned, surprised to see Yellow visiting. She was so happy to see her, as Yellow never came to their meetings or attempts to include her. She ostracized herself, then blamed them for taking what she thought was hers. Blamed Pink. She smiled so warmly, even I didn’t see the gun. But I heard it. I saw the electricity. And the shards. I’ll never forget that sound, that… that cracking. It was like dropping something made from the finest glass. It had no chance.” 

Jasper’s growl stopped Pearl’s story, and she looked at the large Quartz in surprise. Jasper was fully bristled, her hair having dried as well, with her time out of the water, but now it was sticking up in anger. She looked rather poofy, and it would have been charmingly cute if not for the horrible anger on her face, her lips drawn up in a snarl as she stared impotently down at her claws, clenched into fists and biting into her own palms. 

“She shattered my Diamond, then declared war on Blue Diamond while she was still grieving,” Jasper concluded, with teeth clenched. Her wild eyes flashed up to Pearl, whose sad face cut through her fiery rage like a shard of cooling ice. Though her ears were still ringing, her blood boiling, she felt her tension ease a bit as concern slipped in to her focus. “And you? She attacked you, too?” 

“Yeah,” Pearl agreed, maybe a bit too quickly. If Jasper noticed, she did not have the will to question it. Pearl was staring at the surface of the water now, sitting up, one hand resting on her bullet wound. “My gem was cracked the night Pink Diamond was shattered. Yellow Diamond threw her shards into the sea, and let us sink together. I lost my tail, and almost all of my abilities, because of that night. But I got an undying thirst for revenge. To destroy her, and everything she represents, as thoroughly as I can. But to do it in a way that would make Pink Diamond proud. Her way, and my way. More my way, these days. But what can I say. The pirate life gets to you. It’s actually pretty fun.” 

She grinned hopefully, looking up at Jasper with a deep breath to steady herself, but her profound effort to be upbeat was immediately killed as she settled her gaze on the damaged, miserable face the warrior was making. Somehow, she doubted it was because she felt bad for what happened to Pearl that night. 

“I’m sure Pink Diamond would be honored to know you still serve her memory, Jasper,” Pearl said softly, taking her turn to place her hand, the one not holding her injury, over Jasper’s hand on her arm. Jasper looked startled, as if forgetting Pearl was even there until the contact was renewed. 

“What do you mean?” 

“She loved the mergems, you know. She and Blue Diamond. Even after Yellow blamed us, Blue wanted to believe we were innocent. She would come to that beach to grieve, and visit the pool. Maybe she hoped Pink Diamond would meet her there. You remained at that stronghold, and held it for Blue Diamond, didn’t you? For Pink Diamond’s memory. Until Yellow’s warships attacked and finally destroyed it.” 

“How do you know that?” 

“I have a real funny way of being at the right place at the right time, I guess. Or the wrong time, depending on how you look at it. I was sailing with my crew by then. Some of them, anyway. And we followed news of Yellow launching attacks on the last lands under Pink Diamond’s name, though they belonged to Blue Diamond due to their treaties. I saw her island fall.”

“Yellow ordered her soldiers to shatter all of us. I fought her general on the beach, but I was ambushed. I was poofed, I know that much, and when I reformed, I was under water. And there was Rose Quartz.” 

“Queen of the mergems, yeah,” Pearl said distantly, expression softening. “Lucky you managed to get her to heal you. You probably would have been shattered. A lot of gems were, because of Yellow. Good gems. Loyal to Pink and Blue, and not a maniacal tyrant.” 

“You were rescuing those gems from the ship Yellow sank, when we first met, weren’t you?” 

“Eh?” Pearl was caught off guard by the abrupt topic change. She shrugged her shoulders, looking away. “I took them back to their master, yeah. It’s not in the nature of a pearl to leave someone in danger, no matter who they fight for. We are given healing powers, and a generally helplessly optimistic and hopeful outlook on life. You can see how well that works out for most of us, when we’re caught in nets and dried out to be put on display.” 

“Right. But you do that a lot. Follow Yellow around, and rescue the gems she leaves behind. Her own, or whoever she was attacking, don’t you?” 

“Aye, that’s pretty much all I do, until I can find a way to really strike at her. Of course, I think I have her full attention now.” She tried to change the subject, drawing her hand carefully back from Jasper’s. Jasper reached up and caught her hand, though, tugging her lightly to force her to look back in the warrior’s direction, her gold eyes blazing once they met Pearl’s ocean blue ones. 

“So you’re the reason I woke up at all, aren’t you?”

“Ah… well… I think Rose Quartz was the one to heal you, right? I mean, you said you woke up… uh.” 

“You took me to her! You saved my life, and now you’ve done it again! I attacked you, and you let me treat you like… why did you not say anything?! I hated you, you little whelp, and I was set on sticking you under a heavy rock at the bottom of the ocean!” Jasper was suddenly yelling at her, and Pearl drew back in surprise. She did not feel threatened, exactly, as Jasper seemed to be angriest about the fact that she was indebted to Pearl even before they ever ‘met’, and that was likely not something she would actually throttle the already injured Captain for.

Right?

“I’ll try to cut back on it in the future, alright?” Pearl yelped, holding her hands up in a show of defenselessness. Even so, there was a sparkle in her eye that Jasper did not miss, a grin that Pearl was purposefully keeping off her face. “No more saving you without your permission. Got it. Just stop getting yourself into trouble and we’ll call it even.” 

“You’re one to talk,” Jasper growled, folding her arms over her chest and huffing, looking away bitterly. They sat in silence for a long moment, Jasper turning over everything she heard in her mind, and finding some things still did not add up. But Pearl had been more than willing to share at least some of her story, and it was illuminating enough to quiet Jasper’s temper. For a moment, she forgot what she had to be angry about, eyes shifting to take in the smaller gem properly for the first time. 

She was very small, her clothes hanging off of her. Without her coats and belts, her bandana and big hat, she looked frail and dangerously thin. Like she could snap without much effort, should Jasper get a hold of her just right. Yet she was one of the most heroic, brainlessly brave and stubborn soldiers Jasper had ever seen. And that surely was a word that perfectly fit her: a soldier for the mergems, for Rose Quartz. A soldier for the land gems, for Pink and Blue Diamond. A soldier for freedom and against tyranny, fighting with everything she had, maybe even more than that, to bring a stop to the evil spreading across the land and through the waters. But how much could one little, cracked gem really do? 

It was amazing she had not already gotten herself shattered. 

Pearl felt strangely exposed under Jasper’s burning gaze, uncomfortable in a way she had never experienced before. Just what was the quartz able to see in her? It felt like she was seeing through her, literally and figuratively, and Pearl was not sure she was ready for all of her secrets to be dragged out of her in one sitting. Thankfully, Jasper looked away, and Pearl relaxed shoulders she had not realized she had been tightening. 

“Captain Pearl,” Jasper grumbled, moving to slide back into the water and float in front of Pearl, bowing her head so the ends of her long, thick and fluffy hair dipped below the surface, “until I return you to your crew, I am at your service. In the name of Pink Diamond. And my Queen.” 

Pearl hesitated, the pledge echoing in her ears for a moment like a ringing bell. She shook off a shudder before it could claim her, hiding her reaction under a grin and a cocky wave of her hand. 

“Well, yeah, you would be. I did save your life, after all.”

“And I saved yours,” Jasper snapped, looking up at her in irritation. She was just blowing off her honest effort to be kind and show her respect? The very idea immediately brought all that irritation and annoyance Jasper had for the captain bubbling back up to the forefront of her mind. The pirate was infuriatingly unpredictable, at once being one of the most noble and loyal gems Jasper had ever seen, and the least respectful and most annoying. 

“Well, yeah, I guess you did once, but I’ve got two to cash in on, right? Get me to my crew, and we can call it even. We can leave Diamonds and Queens out of it. Okay? Just a pirate and a mermaid, working together. Simple, right?” Pearl offered her a hand shake, eyebrows high and a smile on her disarmingly pretty face. Jasper growled at her, but clasped her hand around the much tinier one, giving it a firm shake. Pearl laughed as she was nearly knocked off her perch on the rocks. 

A jolt of electricity brought her laughter to an end, though, and she did fall off the rocks. Jasper caught her, immediately cradling her close. She looked at the injury, which was sparking angrily, then at Pearl’s gem. If more cracks appeared she could not tell, the damage already worryingly extensive. Pearl seemed dazed, though, left disoriented and limp against Jasper’s body for a moment. This happened before, when Jasper was trying to follow Pearl’s half conscious instructions to bring her here. It had been a lot of Pearl swatting at Jasper’s chest and pointing as they swam, waking up between bouts of unconsciousness just to be annoyed they had strayed off path. Somehow, they managed to find this place, though what it really was remained lost on Jasper. 

Some place that instinctively felt safe to Pearl, for one reason or another. 

“Pirate?” Jasper touched a clawed hand to Pearl’s face, managing to be gentle enough to not even scuff her with her sharp nails. Pearl moaned softly, opening her eyes and looking around blearily before catching up with herself and shaking off the confusion. 

“Yup. I’m good. But we should probably get going, if we’re going to find my crew before my gem’s had it.” 

“I was thinking the same thing… though less flippantly.” Jasper sighed and shifted her hold on Pearl, hoping to make her a little more comfortable. Pearl held on to her lightly, and from this proximity Jasper could see a soft, pale blue blush on her cheeks. So the pirate was not all confidence, all the time. That was good to know, though Jasper was in no position to take advantage of it. She was not exactly the most comfortable with how close they were, either. “Ready?”

“Ye-”

Jasper dove before Pearl could answer, ensuring she got a mouthful of sea water. They did not need to breathe, at least, though it was still a very uncomfortable sensation. Pearl punched Jasper in a particularly soft spot of her chest for that one, and Jasper released her entirely. Pearl let out a flurry of bubbles, kicking her legs but realizing quickly she lacked the energy for this kind of rough housing and play. Struggling just to keep from sinking, Pearl looked mildly panicked before Jasper returned to her and caught her once more, cradling her close. 

“Sorry,” Jasper said, without a trace of apology in her tone. 

Pearl rolled her eyes, pointing. Jasper swam as directed, deep enough to not notice the sun rising and falling over the course of their journey. She did note the passage of time in how many shocks Pearl was taking, and Jasper herself had to endure just from holding on to her. They were surprisingly strong, and she could only imagine how cruel they felt to the pirate herself, with that bullet lodged inside her. It managed to hold such a powerful charge, but it was a gift from a Diamond. By the time she saw the island in the distance, Pearl’s hand sagging now that she no longer had to point the way, she could tell the captain was running out of endurance. Any further shocks would surely damage her gem irreparably, if it was not already cracked beyond healing. 

Jasper did try to take Pearl to Rose Quartz. As soon as the battle ended, when she caught the gem while she sank away from Yellow Diamond’s ship, Jasper turned tail and dove down, fully intending on taking Pearl to the mermaid kingdom to repay her debt immediately and have the captain healed. The deeper she got, though, the more in pain Pearl seemed to be, thrashing and struggling enough to set off the electrical pulses a few times, helplessly beating on Jasper’s chest and pointing upwards. There was nothing for it: the damaged pearl was unable to bear the pressure of the deeper oceans, forcing Jasper to take her back to the surface until she woke. Pearl managed to guide the way, but she was mostly unconscious for the journey. It was beginning to get that way now, at the end of this new stretch of their trip together. 

Just where was Pearl taking them, anyway? 

Swimming up carefully, Jasper surfaced some distance from the island, eyeing it suspiciously. It was small, not likely to show up on any map, with a perfect beach and small grouping of trees, like a mini forest. It would probably take a whole day to walk around the entirety of the island, following the shore. There was a small building, and Jasper swam toward it, noting Pearl had gone very quiet and still in her arms. Reaching the shore, Jasper focused hard on her previous form and used her gem to give herself some legs instead of her tail. It was still a surprise that she could even do it, and she stumbled a bit as she remembered how to work them. The short reminder on Yellow’s ship was not much of a lesson. Still, she balanced well enough, looking down at the loose fitting pants she had given herself. 

They looked a bit like Pearl’s, fashioned in the same way. It was not intentional, but Jasper supposed she had not really been looking at any other legs in a long while. 

Hesitating, Jasper shifted Pearl in her arms, looking down at the sleeping gem anxiously. Was this the right place? What if the gems in that house were hostile? Or worse yet, what if there was no one there? She wanted Pearl to wake up and tell her, likely in an obnoxiously sarcastic way, that this was where they needed to be. Where the Captain’s gem could be healed, and Jasper could stop worrying about her. 

She approached the building slowly, but the door opened despite how quiet she thought she was being. A small, purple gem came bounding out of the door, looking up at her while bouncing up and down like an excited animal. 

“Captain! Bring her inside! Hurry up!” Amethyst ran away from Jasper, back to the house, leaning in the door way and yelling loud enough for the whole island to hear her. “The Captain’s back! She’s hurt! Sapphire! Blue! She needs help!” 

Jasper paused. 

Blue?

Jasper followed Amethyst into the moderately sized house, finding it to be very comfortable inside, despite the ‘deserted island’ feeling she got outside. She carried Pearl to a nearby sofa, settling her down very carefully on the cushions. Pearl opened her eyes, looking up at Jasper and giving her a crooked grin. 

“I meant to tell you this part in our story time,” she said quietly, closing her eyes and pausing long enough for Jasper to think she fell back to sleep. She opened her eyes blearily, though, and continued, “but I guess this is the fun way for you to find out…” 

Baffled, Jasper shifted Pearl a bit so she was more comfortable on the pillows, draping a blanket over her in an effort to help her dry off. With her gem cracked like it was, she was likely more susceptible to feeling cold, or so Jasper justified the tender action in her mind. It was just being practical, and not because she was concerned for the other’s comfort. Fluffing the pillow behind Pearl’s head for a likewise practical reason she did not want to come up with in that moment, Jasper stood and turned when she heard hurried footsteps approaching. 

Her eyes widened at the strange sight that greeted her. 

Pearl’s crew crowded into the living space first, coming from different halls of the house. Ruby and Bismuth stood with Kyanite and Citrine, Carnelian leaning on a wall nearby. Amethyst was walking next to Sapphire, tugging her hand and pointing. Sapphire turned to look up at the tall figure beside her, bowing her head and hurrying ahead, pulling away from Amethyst, to kneel next to Pearl. She looked immediately frustrated more than anything else, but forced herself to remain calm. Jasper saw the Peridot that Lapis Lazuli had been chasing after, realizing she had not seen the blue gem since the fight on the Navy ship. Not that she was sure she wanted to see her, after what she heard. 

Her eyes were drawn to the tall figure that gracefully moved to the sofa, kneeling beside Sapphire and putting her hand lighting on Pearl’s injury. Pearl opened her eyes once more, grinning thinly at the radiant Diamond that had her own head bowed toward the captain. 

“My…” Blue began, but Pearl cleared her throat.

“My mergem friend, Jasper, here, managed to save my life. Glad you guys waited for me. Your eminence, you might remember Jasper, from Pink Diamond’s guard.” 

Blue Diamond stood. She had opted for a smaller form than her usual imposing height, much like Yellow did when she was sailing. But this was for ease of hiding, and fitting inside this nice little house. 

“Jasper… yes, I remember you. You fought so well for Pink Diamond…” she looked tearful, though generally that was how she always looked. Even so, she smiled, and Jasper felt a radiant warmth, “and now I owe my savior’s life to you, as well. Thank you, good Jasper. But I must tend to her injury, before I can properly discuss things with you. It is so good to see you again, though. To know her soldiers fight on…” 

She sniffled, but turned back to Pearl, returning her attention to the injury and to healing the damage done to Pearl’s form and gem. The room was flooded with a beautiful blue light, and for a moment, everyone felt the weight of how close they came to losing their captain, or some other similarly heavy sorrow. And then it was gone, the feeling fading away with the light. Pearl sat up, looking down at herself and grinning. The injury was healed, and Pearl held up the dangerous little bullet thoughtfully. She flicked it over to Bismuth, who caught it and was surprised to get zapped for her trouble. 

“I’ll take a look at what makes this tick,” she said, shaking her hand ruefully. 

Amethyst tackled Pearl, hugging her tightly. “It’s good to have you back, Captain!” 

She pulled back, and Jasper watched as Amethyst’s expression fell into one of utter confusion, looking at Pearl’s gem. Had she not known what kind of a gem her own Captain was? It seemed the pirate was very good at keeping her secrets, even from those that seemed to love her so much. Jasper’s eyes were drawn to Pearl’s gem, just because the others were looking at it, and she soon joined them in surprise. It was still cracked. 

If Jasper could wrap her head around Blue Diamond even being alive, she would have asked why her powers were not enough to heal it. As it stood, a very heavy, expectant and tense silence filled the room.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JasPearl times! And finally the truth about Pearl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I'm going to try to write more, but work is making it so tough, and I end up feeling too discouraged and tired to do anything.

“You got it pretty bad, huh?” 

Jasper jumped at the voice, turning to look at the much smaller gem that was staring up at her with a strange grin on her face. As if she knew a secret that Jasper might not want her to know. The mergem, though she still had her legs as she spent time on the land after so long, frowned at the pirate severely. For some reason, it only seemed to make the grin lengthen, and stars lit up in the purple gem’s eyes. 

“Got what? I find I don’t ‘get’ anything, when I’m around you pirates,” Jasper grunted unhappily, folding her arms over her chest and looking away. Her eyes fell on what she had been watching before, and it donned on her that this must have been what the Amethyst meant. She was staring at Captain Pearl, who was up and about again, a bandana tied around her cracked gem, deep in conversation with a Bismuth and a Ruby from her crew. They were out on the beach, near the shore, and Jasper was closer to the house, leaning on a tree and watching them. She considered it standing guard, rather than spying: it was not like she could hear anything, and she really did not care what they were talking about. 

But maybe that just made Amethyst’s idea all the more plausible. Blushing, Jasper forced her eyes away from Pearl, staring at the sand instead. 

Amethyst nudged Jasper’s leg with her elbow, and the big warrior glared at her sharply. 

“She has that effect on all of us, don’t worry. We all went through it at one point or another. She’s weirdly captivating, huh?” 

“Frustrating, you mean. I can’t understand her thought process at all: and I was once a general. A warrior that often strategized battles and lead troops into battle. And yet, every move she makes catches me off guard, and I find it impossible to fathom what she is going to do next. I can barely understand everything I have learned about her so far. But what’s it to you? You didn’t know she was a pearl, either, right?” 

Amethyst listened to the angry gem leisurely, not taking any offense and shrugging her shoulders. She had no problems staring at Pearl, watching her as she explained herself to Bismuth and Ruby, who were having a little more trouble with the revelation of her being a mergem than some of the others. Sapphire had already known, it seemed, and Amethyst had her suspicions. It was hard to be intimate with someone and not learn a bit more about them, after all. Whether they were really trying to share or not. 

“I think I’ve known for a while. What does it matter what kind of a gem she is? She’s my Captain, and she’s an amazing gem, even without a name. I’m loyal to her because she deserves it, and that’s never going to change. I don’t care if she’s a mermaid or sand crab: she’s my captain.” 

“Yes, you’ve said that,” Jasper grumbled. She understood blind loyalty. Her own dedication to Pink Diamond was eternal, even now, despite how far she had fallen from a Diamond’s court. Despite her determination to be annoyed, Jasper arched an eyebrow and regarded the small quartz curiously. “Why are you so loyal to her?” 

“She gave me a purpose. Made me feel like I’m worth something, and I was created for a reason. I was supposed to be a soldier for Yellow Diamond, but I didn’t come out right. Cooked too long,” she shrugged, looking away from the beautiful, near perfect quartz warrior. The difference between them were all too obvious, but Amethyst long ago lost the shame that she used to feel when she compared herself to other gems. Instead, she was proud of who she was, and how much she accomplished day to day. Because she fought alongside someone who did not judge her for her faults, but rather knew how to cultivate her strengths. “Yellow Diamond gathered us all up, the rejects and imperfect gems, and she took us out to sea to destroy us. She literally wanted to throw us away, like we were garbage.”

Jasper growled. Her hatred for Yellow Diamond was growing by leaps and bounds the more she heard about her. Not that she had ever exactly liked her before now. 

“As you can probably guess, Pearl saved us all. But I’m not here because I feel like I owe her something. I’ve saved her life more than a couple times: she’s really good at getting herself in trouble. I don’t have any debt to her. But when I fight beside her, I feel strong. I feel whole. I don’t have to doubt who I am or how I was made, and I never question why I was created this way any more. I used to. A lot. But she… I know she would come up with crazy missions for me and her, and she’d put us in such stupid danger, just to help me figure myself out. See what she saw in me from the start. She pushed me to push myself, to figure out that I’m as strong as anyone else, and even stronger, when I fight for a purpose. I’m not saying she’s not a crazy idiot: she is. She’s reckless and stubborn, and sometimes her desire to save and help others really takes it out of her, but it works, too.” 

Jasper’s eyes had fallen on Pearl again, watching as Bismuth caught her in a tight hug and hauled her up off the sand, crushing her as Pearl laughed wildly and kicked her feet. The angry looking Ruby was laughing as well, now smiling instead of looking as unsure and upset as she had before. They must have worked it out. 

“A lot of the gems Pearl saves end up living here, on this island. There are a few hide outs, too, around the seas. Blue Diamond takes care of the ones that are damaged or, you know. Emotional. Not everyone is a sailor, after all, but some of us can’t imagine leaving Pearl out there on the ocean to get herself shattered without us. If she’s going to get herself in trouble, and she will, then we’re going to be there with her. You could join us, you know. I think Pearl likes you. I mean. You know.” Amethyst grinned, that same smarmy, teasing grin from before, and elbowed Jasper’s leg again in an entirely too familiar way. Jasper glared at her, but could not deny the deep, rust colored blush that rose in her cheeks. 

“I want to see Yellow Diamond stopped. But I have a Queen to serve, and duties under the sea. Besides, I hate pirates.” 

“Oh you do, do you?” 

“At this moment, yes.” 

Amethyst laughed, shaking her head. She shrugged, then wandered toward the beach to join the others. 

\-------------------------------------

Pearl finally managed to find a moment alone, sighing and sitting down in a small alcove near the water, away from the main house and beach. She had spent most of the day answering questions from her crew, though Blue Diamond and Sapphire blessedly stepped in to help her. It was not exactly how she hoped they would find out that she was simply a pearl, a damaged one at that, but she never really had a plan to tell them, anyway. It had to come out at some point, she supposed, and really, it went a lot better than she would have thought. Especially with Bismuth and Ruby, who still accepted her strength as Captain. 

Boy, it was tiring, though. 

Sitting on the edge of a small cliff of rocks just a foot or so above the surface, Pearl stared out over the water. The clouded, the weather threatening to turn at any moment, but it was still beautiful in its way. Taking off her shoes, Pearl dipped her feet into the water, sitting on the edge of the rock and looking down at her own reflection. Tugging off her bandana, she looked at her gem, focusing enough to make it glow softly, projecting a soft, shimmering white light down over the surface of the water. The light flickered, even something as simple as that proving difficult with the crack that marred her gem. 

Lifting her hand, she touched her fingers lightly to the damage, tracing across the jagged edge of the chipped area. These were memories she avoided, but she supposed with how overwhelmed and tired she was feeling it was much easier for them to catch up with her. 

“Admiring yourself?” a low voice rumbled from behind her, though Pearl did not jump. She heard the foliage bending under heavy feet, but guessed who it was and did not bother to hide what she was doing. 

“Well, it is a lovely view, don’t you think?” 

Jasper grunted her response, which almost sounded like a laugh, and sat down heavily beside Pearl. She relaxed, using the moment to shift her legs away and restore her tail, feeling drained from keeping the false form for so long. It felt nice, the water on her tail, and she slipped off the edge of the rocks and into the water carefully. Pearl watched her, the light from her gem still glimmering, catching the curves and dips of Jasper’s large, finely cut body as she moved. 

“That one’s better,” Pearl breathed, before clearing her throat. “What are you doing here? I thought you would have gone back to Rose Quartz and the others by now. Don’t tell me you’re worried about me.” 

“A little,” Jasper said blandly, regarding Pearl from the water. She floated on her back, tail very leisurely moving to keep her on the water’s surface. “Why is your gem not healed? After a Diamond using her powers to help you, no less. That’s not from the battle, is it?” 

Pearl was quiet for a long moment, kicking her feet in the water and splashing a bit, first directly in front of her, then kicking the water more toward Jasper playfully. The warrior, unsurprisingly, was not impressed, but remained floating while she waited for her answer. 

“No. It’s something from a lifetime ago. It’ll never be healed, so I’ve just learned to work around it. It limits my powers a bit, but I’ve figured it out pretty well. There’s nothing to worry about, though it’s very sweet of you anyway. And here I thought you didn’t like me.” Pearl’s eyes flashed in the shadows her gem cast over her face, the glow fading as her focus wavered. It was still light enough out, with the moon peeking out from behind clouds every now and then, to keep them illuminated. 

“You seem to think flirting with me will distract me from learning things about you,” Jasper pointed out, though she failed to add that it was somewhat true. 

Pearl laughed, caught red handed. 

“Would you rather I try something else? I thought flirting was a good choice. Better than being grumpy or just ignoring you.” Pearl leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees and watching the mergem thoughtfully. “Anyway, I’m not flirting just to get out of talking about myself. I can’t help it, around a beautiful gem like you.” 

“That’s enough,” Jasper sighed, rolling her eyes. She swam a bit closer, reaching up and putting her hands on either side of Pearl’s hips, big enough to raise up from the water and hold herself in front of the much smaller gem without any trouble. She could tread water this way and keep her balance, while frowning disapprovingly right into Pearl’s face. The pirate sank back a bit, though her pride and stubbornness did not allow her to pull back very far. Jasper’s eyes were on Pearl’s gem, examining the damage thoughtfully. “Is a piece missing?”

“Jasper, I don’t want to talk about this. Not… not right now,” Pearl said, her tone suddenly shifting. Surprised, Jasper looked down at her, seeing the doubt and sorrow in her eyes. For a moment, she lingered, waiting for that flash of confidence, or that wicked little grin that would say Pearl was messing with her yet again. Nothing came, Pearl refusing to look at her, her soft, pretty features dusted with a light blue blush. 

“I’m sorry,” Jasper puffed, dropping back down into the water, but not moving away. Her shoulders were about as high as Pearl’s knees, and she looked up at the pirate captain in confusion. The look on her face only made Jasper want to know what caused it even more, her interest and curiosity thoroughly piqued. Yet she was a trained, professional warrior, and she had some sort of manners, after all these years serving a queen. 

Pearl could feel the mergem’s eyes still on her, burning and intense. Even in the darkness, that simmering gold was impossible to miss, despite the captain’s very best efforts not to look in her direction or get caught in that damning gaze. 

“It’s… don’t worry about it. Let’s go swimming.” 

Pearl dropped into the water suddenly, almost directly on top of Jasper. Even so, she was graceful and barely made a splash, though Jasper’s arms certainly did as she rushed to catch the Captain on instinct. She blinked in wonder as Pearl looked up at her with a soft, almost sweet smile, patting her on the arm thankfully for her effort. However unnecessary as it was. Pearl was an excellent swimmer, as she had already proven. She slipped by Jasper, swimming away from the rock face and turning to float on her back and looking expectant. Frowning, Jasper followed after her as if attached to a leash. 

Still smiling, Pearl turned and swam away. Her movements were slow at first, Jasper catching up for only a moment before Pearl started to race away again with a challenging laugh. 

“Where are you going?” Jasper growled, kicking her tail and giving chase. 

“Does it matter?” Pearl called back, before diving under the water and disappearing from immediate view. Jasper followed her, able to see clearly under the surface, as if the darkness did not really hinder her. The devilish captain was fast, but Jasper was built much more effectively when it came to the water. She caught up to Pearl, but the smaller gem refused to be caught, ducking away from her, changing directions abruptly, or just wiggling out of her grasp any time Jasper came close enough to reach for her. Pearl was laughing under the water, which was infectious enough to actually make the dour general laugh as well. She was having fun, though she would deny it vehemently later, as she chased the little pearl around, sometimes letting her get away a little easier than she would have if she really wanted to catch her. 

After a good chase, Jasper closed the distance one more time, and finally managed to lay her clawed hands on Pearl’s hips, drawing her back from her swimming and bringing her close. Pearl looked up at her, blue eyes shimmering. She kicked her feet, not to escape but rather to swim up just a bit and kiss Jasper on the cheek sweetly. Jasper heard the water muffled giggle as Pearl watched her awestruck face, but was too busy covering her face with her hand in an effort to hide her embarrassment to be annoyed by it. The pirate swam away from her once more, though she had no intention of losing her now.

Once she composed herself, Jasper swam after her once more.

Pearl led her down, though she could not go too deep, and seemed to be going somewhere specific, despite the games. This was made more clear as she disappeared into a cave on the underside of the island. Jasper followed her, struggling to fit through some of the more narrow portions of the cave, until they surfaced in a large, open area. It was much like the healing pools back in the mergem kingdom, Jasper thought, with shallow pools of water and high rocks, almost to the surface of the water, covered in what looked to be coral. Along the top of the cave, in the walls and rocks of the island itself, were colorful crystals. Pearl made her gem glow, lighting up the cave and all the crystals, casting rainbows of light all around them, even dancing on the surface of the water. 

It was beautiful, as if Jasper had walked into a song, her heart fluttering as she tried to take it all in. 

“What is this place?” 

“When I was a mermaid,” Pearl said gently, her voice shaking, “I came to many places like this. All over the ocean. This one endured, because it is so well hidden, but most of these beds were raided by Yellow Diamond, once Blue and Pink fell. I would find a nice place to sit or float, and I would watch over the pearls being cultured. And when they were ready to form, I would greet each one, give them their names, and welcome them to their new home.” 

“You…? That’s what Her Majesty does, though we do not have many pearls coming into the kingdom any more. With Yelllow hunting them, and the Queen’s attention and powers being drawn all over the place… managing a war, and hiding our kingdom away… but. Why would you…?” 

Pearl looked at Jasper, that sad expression returning. In fact, the depth of sorrow in those crystal clear eyes, always so full of fire and passion, took Jasper’s breath away. She put a big hand on Pearl’s shoulder, feeling a strange tension in the air. It was unlike anything she had ever known before, her chest tightening and threatening to explode if Pearl did not speak. 

“They called me Mother of Pearl. My gems. My people. You asked me if a piece of my gem is missing. I’ve never told anyone any of this, and my crew… they just can’t find out. They can’t. Jasper, I don’t know why I trust you, but I do. And maybe I’ve just needed to tell someone all this, for a long time. But promise me,” she turned to face Jasper suddenly, reaching to catch her face in her small hands and hold her lightly, looking at her directly, her gaze unwavering. Those beautiful gold eyes stared back at her, full of confusion. “Promise me you won’t breathe a word of any of this.” 

“You… you’re the missing queen…”

“Jasper…” 

“The Queen before Rose Quartz. The one no one can talk about without tears. What… what happened to you?” Jasper lifted her hand, lightly tracing it over the back of one of Pearl’s, though she found she did not have the strength to pull the other’s hands away. Or maybe she lacked the will. She stared at Pearl with wide eyes, remembering the flash she saw just after escaping Yellow Diamond’s ship. That beautiful pearl, sinking in the debris. 

“I died,” Pearl said, finally letting go of Jasper of her own volition, turning away and hugging herself for a moment. She moved to a shallow part of the pools, sitting on it so she did not have to worry about treading water. She could not bring her eyes up to look at Jasper again, staring at the rainbow colored, shimmering water. “The mergem Queen gave her life, to save a Diamond of the land.” 

“I don’t understand,” Jasper murmured helplessly, swimming closer.

“I was working with Pink and Blue Diamond to secure a brighter future for my kind. Yellow Diamond saw our peace, heard of our treaties, and hated us. Hated the power we represented, united, as she stood alone. She struck where she knew the chain was the weakest: the youngest, newest Diamond to invade her waters. She shattered Pink Diamond without knowing I was there. I gathered every piece I could, tried to use my powers, as incredible as they once were, to heal her gem. But there was a piece missing, and I could not find it, no matter how long I searched. I was desperate, and I was mourning, and did the only thing I could think of. As a Pearl, I was created with the powers to heal, and the will to protect. As the Queen, my powers were almost limitless, and I had abilities no other pearls could claim. But I couldn’t just create a gem from thin air. The only option I had was to fill in that piece that was missing, and I gave PInk Diamond a piece of myself.” 

She touched her hand to her gem, smiling ruefully. 

“Literally. When she reformed, she did not remember who she was. I hid the truth from her. I even gave her a new shape. I told her she was the Queen of the Mergems now, and gave her some of my knowledge. Enough to get by. To take care of my kind. I told her she was in danger, and I sent her away from me. I collapsed, and probably should have shattered.” 

Jasper was silent, watching Pearl with an unreadable expression, even for a pirate that was exceptionally good at reading others. She shifted uncomfortably, once again feeling the weight of those golden, cat like eyes as they bored into her. 

“I know this changes a lot for you. It’s an unfair secret for me to keep, and I should not have burdened you with it. I don’t know what came over me, I just… I needed to tell you. Don’t be angry with Rose, she doesn’t know who she was. I know those memories are in there, but without that missing piece, she can’t remember being a Diamond. I’m the only one that knows the truth. I… Jasper… please say something. Even if it’s to tell me you hate me again.” 

Jasper did not reply, only watching Pearl. All at once, she was in motion. She seized Pearl’s wrists and pulled both over her head, easily able to hold them both in her massive, clawed hands. She pinned them to the shallow rocks, pushing Pearl down onto her back and looming over her. Before an instinct to protect herself could even kick in, if it was ever going to, Pearl found Jasper’s lips crushed against her own, kissing her with dizzying intent and passion. 

Pearl was left with her mouth hanging slightly open as Jasper pulled back with a deep growl, her free hand wrapping carefully, though firmly, around Pearl’s neck. She held her there, thoroughly pinned, staring down at her as if attempting to see through her completely. 

“You are… the most incredible, confusing, dangerous gem I have ever met,” Jasper growled, shaking her head. “If all these stories I hear about you are true… you deserve so much more than this life you lead. Damaged, abandoned, almost forgotten. How can you endure this? Knowing what Yellow Diamond’s done? What you’ve had to do?” 

Pearl stared at her dumbly for a long moment, before breaking out into a melodious laugh. 

“I gotta tell you, this is not the reaction I expected!” 

“Stop laughing at me, pirate,” Jasper said rather sheepishly, though there was no anger in her tone as she gently let go of Pearl’s wrists. Pearl wrapped her arms around Jasper’s neck, hugging her close and burying her face in Jasper’s long, fluffy hair. 

“I’m not,” she said, voice muffled understandably from her position, “I’m just laughing. I thought you would want to rip me apart, hearing all that, or worse, start treating me like a queen. So what is it? You don’t believe me?” 

“I have no reason to believe you,” Jasper purred, pulling back so Pearl could not hide so easily. “But I do. I believe that you were the Queen of the mergems, and that you saved Pink Diamond at the expense of your tail and powers. That sounds exactly like something a reckless, insane pirate would do.”

“And what, lost royals are a turn on for you?” Pearl teased gently, tilting her head up and inviting the kisses Jasper was trailing along her shoulder, her shirt just open enough for her to find soft skin, to travel to her neck. Jasper was all too happy to oblige, running her tongue over Pearl’s neck before nibbling it experimentally. Pearl’s body arched up under her in an alluring way, Jasper’s hand following the line of her lithe frame as it trailed down her side to come to rest on her hip. 

“Warrior spirits are,” Jasper clarified. “I have never met a gem as brave as you are. And I find myself in your debt a hundred times over, without ever knowing you. You saved my Diamond, gave me my queen. You saved my own life twice, and never bothered to introduce yourself.” 

“I…” for once, Pearl was at a loss for words. She touched her hand to Jasper’s chest, though she did not push her away or even pull her closer. Jasper looked down at her, a soft smile on her face as she admired how awestruck and confused the pirate seemed to be. Good, at least she was not the only one feeling lost all the time. A little turn about was fair play, and maybe it was Pearl’s turn to be caught off guard. A big orange hand caressed the side of Pearl’s face, guiding her to look at Jasper directly. The quartz used her claw to very gently wipe a tear away from Pearl’s cheek, expression softening in wonder. 

“Has no one been kind to you before, Pearl? Treated you as you deserve, and earned, and not as the reckless pirate you play?” 

“It… it’s really never come up before,” Pearl said, her voice cracking a bit. She cleared her throat and looked away, heat rising in her face as Jasper’s hand moved from her hip to between her legs carefully. Pearl bit her own lower lip and stopped a moan from escaping, though she did instinctively spread her legs a bit for Jasper. “That’s not fair to say. A-Amethyst has always been…” 

“Ah, Amethyst,” Jasper growled lowly, with a smirk. She watched Pearl curiously, not sure if she needed to know where the two stood or not. It was only fair, she supposed, but the way Amethyst was speaking before implied that… Jasper frowned, not really the most experienced in personal relationships to know how to draw lines after only one conversation. “Is she your mate?”

“Well, no. Sometimes. It’s… casual. And usually when we’re drunk. I love her, but not… wh-why are we talking about this? Are you trying to win my heart all of a sudden, you big brute?” 

Jasper did not respond. At least, not verbally. Her hand rubbed against Pearl’s most private area, over her clothes, though the touch was still enough to color the pirate’s cheeks in the prettiest of ways. Her eyes seemed to light up with desire and need, and Jasper wondered when the last time she had been able to find any sort of release had been. That same thought was fair for herself, as well, though she was not wholly inexperienced. Really, she expected pirates to be at it with one another at all times. For her part, Pearl did not want to sell Amethyst out for their last encounter, or how unsatisfying it had been. 

“So… she would not mind if I… got to know you a little better?”

Pearl watched Jasper in wonder, then grinned. She laughed, reaching up and taking hold of Jasper’s long hair and tugging her closer suddenly. It was Pearl’s turn to kiss her suddenly, and with no small amount of heat, almost knocking the big gem off balance and giggling against her lips.

“I know I don’t mind, at any rate.” 

\--------------


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally just sex. If that is not interesting to you, then maybe wait for the next one! Plot shall return! But in the mean time, a certain Pirate Captain and a former General take the evening to get to know one another better.

Somehow, they ended up in the water again. 

Jasper held on to Pearl with one arm, keeping it wrapped behind her lithe back as a support while Pearl clung to her, letting her handle the swimming. With her tail and natural buoyancy, she was much more at home in the waters than the pirate was, these days, and it gave Pearl the chance to focus on other things instead of trying to tread water. Like exploring the beautiful body she was currently being held so tightly against. 

It was very common for mergems to wear no clothing, mostly out of convenience sake. Some times, it took land gems more time to adjust to the idea of swimming around naked, but Jasper never seemed too troubled by it. Perhaps she was aware of how beautiful she was, as Pearl was discovering for herself, or maybe it was simply a warrior’s confidence making a matter like others seeing her bare breasts see inconsequential. She adapted to the role she was given, serving her queen and striving to be the best mermaid soldier she could be, and could hardly spare a thought to something as trivial as wearing a shirt or not. 

Plus, she always considered herself difficult to embarrass. Pearl was proving her wrong, as she was particularly skilled at making her blush and seemed to delight in doing just that. 

The pirate captain was currently running her tongue over Jasper’s nipple, which drew the much larger mermaid’s attention. She was trying to simply swim them back to the sandy beach of Blue Diamond’s island, but Pearl was intent on continuing what Jasper herself started in the cave. She found it impossible to regret it, though, as Pearl put her clever mouth to its best use so far. She sucked and nipped very lightly at the now perky and sensitive flesh, her hand massaging the rest of Jasper’s ample breast encouragingly. Jasper swished her tail, turning them around in the water, but it did not distract Pearl from her work. Instead, Pearl held on with her long legs wrapped around what would have been Jasper’s wide hips, had she still been equipped with her own set of legs. 

“Little devil,” Jasper growled. Pearl did not respond, and not just because she had a mouthful of very soft and responsive flesh to tease. Despite formerly being a mergem, the pirate had lost her ability to speak underwater along with most of her other mermaid traits. A few things remained, and some heightened abilities helped her under water, but she was unable to engage in an underwater conversation. 

There were, however, plenty of other things she could do under water. 

Swimming up, Jasper broke the surface, followed by the fluffy, peach colored head still teasing her body as if they were lovers. Though an interesting thought, Jasper wanted some control in this moment, rather than letting the pirate get away with whatever she wanted, as she was clearly accustomed to. Grabbing the back of Pearl’s soggy shirt, she managed to pull her away and hold her out, upper body entirely out of the water, at arm’s length. She dangled there, looking like a half drowned kitten, her blue eyes shimmering playfully as she feigned innocence. 

“What’s the matter, Jasper?” she purred, reaching a hand up to find Jasper’s clawed one behind her head, playing her fingers lightly over orange knuckles, “I thought you wanted to get to know me better?” 

“I do. But you seem to be the one trying to figure me out. Can’t wait the length of a simple swim to let me show you what I can do?” 

“Appealing,” Pearl said thoughtfully, kicking her feet a little in the water, “but my time on the seas has shown me that waiting is far too difficult. If you see what you want, it is more prudent to simply enjoy it in the moment, rather than let it get taken away. Anything could happen, you know, between here and the island. And knowing my bad luck, it won’t be as fun as me licking your beautiful chest.” 

Jasper growled again, though she could hardly hide the way her lips wanted to curl into a smile. Why was this pirate so infuriatingly adorable? As if to punctuate the thought, Pearl took hold of Jasper’s hand and used it as leverage to shimmy her body out from her shirt, dropping back into the water and leaving Jasper holding her clothes. Blinking, it took a moment for the mergem to realize her now half naked pirate was swimming away from her, and she had not managed to get a good look at her. 

Jasper dove under the surface again, kicking her tail behind her and propelling forward like a knife cutting through paper. She was startled when she nearly ran face first into the silky, pale body she was so eagerly chasing, pulling backwards and stopping just short enough to find herself staring up at a very sultry, slightly blushing Pearl. Her mind ran completely blank for a long moment, her ears becoming deaf to all sounds around her. Even the water around them seemed to melt away as her eyes focused only on the thin, yet somehow shapely frame before her. Reaching up, half expecting the beautiful creature to simply disappear, Jasper was surprised to find her fingers able to touch the ever so soft skin of the vexing, lovely pirate she was growing more and more enamored with. 

“You’re beautiful... “ she barely heard herself say, but Pearl clearly heard it, turning her head away in a simple, heart shatteringly pretty moment of bashfulness. Jasper’s big thumb traced down Pearl’s side, finding a strange mark where she had been shot by Yellow Diamond. A scar? Gems did not often carry scars, but with her gem cracked as it was, it seemed to make sense. Nothing about Pearl was typical, anyway, and yet despite it being caused by such an ugly encounter, even this mark failed to mar how beautiful she seemed. If anything, it only made Jasper’s chest tighten further, eyes trailing across her skin to see other marks, most faded and some nearly impossible to see, all along her body. 

Each scar was likely earned by this reckless pirate doing something stupidly brave, saving a life at a cost to herself, as seemed to be her way. Jasper put her other hand on Pearl’s shoulder, orienting them in the water so they were both looking at each other directly. Pearl was still blushing, one hand raised to carefully touch Jasper’s wrist before the orange gem slowly turned her in the water, seeing the marks she knew would be there, but had vaguely been hoping were already gone. Long scars from terrible, misguided claws ran down her back, and Jasper bent close to press a long, apologetic kiss to them. 

Pearl shuddered, hugging herself as she let Jasper explore. No one had ever touched her in such a tender way before, and it almost scared her. She turned suddenly, drawing Jasper’s attention back to her face, where she noted the anxiety. The same hand that left those scars now cupped Pearl’s face gently, comfortingly, drawing her closer so the two could share a kiss. Pearl closed her eyes and let herself be led, pressing her lips to Jasper’s very plush, eager mouth. She quickly felt her head growing dizzy, but this time it was not water pressure or injury making her feel so weak. 

It was Jasper. It was this moment. This heat. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, which was saying something. The jaded pirate always bore the cockiness of someone who had seen the world twice over, and yet here she was, feeling shy and exposed. New to this world, and barely holding herself together as she clung to Jasper’s shoulders and sought more from her passionate kiss. Big, powerful arms encircled her, holding her close and sheltering her from the cool water. Jasper kicked her tail and took them to the surface again, though they were not so quick on breaking the kiss. At length, Pearl drew back, looking up at Jasper breathlessly, shaking her head. 

“You have a clear shot at my breasts and the first thing you do is look at my scars? Just who are you, Jasper?” 

“Not one of your pirate scum, clearly. I have manners, and respect, even for something as wild and dangerous as you,” Jasper’s voice was low and rumbling, barely escaping her chest, which Pearl found herself pressing her hands to, feeling the way the words vibrated like a purr. She watched Jasper without realizing her mouth was slightly open, simply waiting for another kiss. Jasper, thankfully, did notice, and bent close to oblige. 

“Mmm!” Pearl wanted to lose herself in those plush lips, but pulled back again, shaking her head and frowning. “Dangerous? And here I thought everyone considered mermaids the danger in the ocean. Even pirates fear them, you know.” 

“And you know better, don’t you?” Jasper challenged, falling easily into the teasing. It felt so comfortable and familiar, though she had to chastise herself to remember it was still brand new. They were strangers, and yet here she was, idolizing a pirate as if completely slave to her will and command. “You’re more mergem than I am, after all. I’m right in thinking you’re the most terrible thing in all these waters.” 

“And beyond them, I’m sure,” Pearl grinned proudly, kissing her way along the underside of Jasper’s jaw, tongue exploring the grooves of her strong neck and into the curve of her shoulder. Jasper’s low growl of approval raced all the way down Pearl’s spine, making her whole body shudder. 

“Truly terrible,” Jasper murmured, spotting the shore blessedly close and swimming toward it. She let Pearl cling to her until the sand bank was solid beneath them, pressing her back into the sand as the shallow, calm waves washed around them. Above them, the star studded sky shimmered with the light of the moon, which gave the cove enough light to allow them to see each other and what they were doing, and not too much more. Pearl leaned back in the sand as Jasper hovered over her, her body shifting to replace her tail with her strong, alluringly thick legs and hips. This time, she did not bother with pants, looking down at Pearl with an expression that was not difficult to read. 

Without a word, Pearl wiggled her way out of her own pants, kicking them off in the water and letting them drift as they wanted. She had some comically loose boxers on, which only made her cuter as they clung to her wet body and kept absolutely nothing from Jasper’s view. This time, she was looking, not distracted by anything else. Her clawed hand smoothed down Pearl’s pale body, stark against her light skin, until she hooked the claw into the hem of her boxers and pulled them off with one sudden pull. 

“Jasper!” Pearl laughed, surprised, “I thought you said you were respectful? This is hardly the behavior of a soldier.” 

“No,” she growled lowly, resonating in the cool night air. Pearl shuddered again, a sharp, tight, coiling sensation moving through her core as Jasper bent closer. Those burning golden eyes seemed to look straight through her as Jasper stared at Pearl intently, hand tightening on her hip. “But I’m not your soldier, am I?” 

“I guess not, but-” 

Pearl wanted to say something pithy and funny, but Jasper’s hand gripped her leg, just under her hip. As big as she was, she was able to wrap her fingers around even the thickest part of Pearl’s leg. Which was not all that thick, in the scheme of things. She was wiry at best, but it made holding on to her, or moving her around as in this case, all too easy. With a cry, she found herself being hoisted up by that powerful hand, her legs in the air, only her shoulders and upper back still pressing into the sand. Jasper moved to place her other arm under and against Pearl’s back, bracing her, but keeping hold of her as well. 

“J-Jasper!” Pearl cried, her voice echoing in the otherwise silent night as Jasper pressed her face between Pearl’s legs and let her tongue suddenly find its way inside the soft mound of Pearl’s folds. She was not expecting that, clearly, and Jasper grinned against her sensitive body as Pearl wiggled eagerly against her face. There was no hiding how wet and excited Pearl had already become now, Jasper tasting every bit of it as she pressed her tongue to those shuddering, clenching walls. As helpless as she was, Pearl could only feebly kick her feet and reach up for something, anything, to hold on to. She grabbed onto the thick hair on top of Jasper’s head, which was already drying due to its water resistant nature. Trying not to clench her knees around Jasper’s head, Pearl managed to tuck her legs closer to Jasper’s body, over her shoulders.

“Oh, oh stars,” Pearl intoned, the luscious tone like music to Jasper’s ears. Her voice was thick with desire now, her hips pushing up and against Jasper’s eager mouth without any hesitation or that small show of shyness back in the water. Even now, with her body arched up in this embarrassing display, almost completely at the mercy of the much bigger gem that was currently bent on pleasuring her into a coma, Pearl was not entirely helpless. 

At least, that was what she told herself as Jasper reached further inside her, her body coiling and heat spilling from her in response. She clasped one hand over her own mouth to keep from crying out again, watching the top of Jasper’s head as it bobbed. Each slight movement she witnessed felt a thousand times stronger, Jasper’s tongue reaching deep inside her, only to pull back and run over her folds or teasingly search for and find, in painfully brief licks, her increasingly sensitive clit. Pearl’s toes curled after one such lick, and Jasper pulled back as she watched her willing captive shaking with utmost pleasure and ever growing need. 

“D-don’t stop,” Pearl managed, watching Jasper at this strange angle in a haze. Jasper looked down at her, grinning at the look on the pirate’s face, her own body crackling with a need that rivaled electricity once she realized just how badly Pearl wanted her. She moved the hand that was holding Pearl’s leg up, the smaller gem not moving or even once trying to escape, and ran her middle finger over the very slick mess she was making. She dipped her finger in between Pearl’s folds and drew it back to find it suitably coated. Pearl watched this, her face burning a deep blue as she blushed. “Jasper? Please?”

“Begging already?” Jasper teased gently, easing Pearl’s straining body down to the sand. She heard the gem give a moan of relief, though it was twinged with longing that only made the fire in her burn brighter. Bending over the pirate captain, Jasper found her lips and kissed them soundly, Pearl moaning as she tasted her own desire. She might have said something about it, had Jasper not pushed her already wet finger inside her, almost to the knuckle in one quick movement. Instead of saying anything, Pearl simply cried out in exquisite pleasure, her beautiful body arching up off the sand and against Jasper’s flat, muscular stomach. Jasper slipped her other arm around Pearl’s back, holding her up and against her as she began to move her finger inside her lover. 

If this was a battle, Pearl was all too happy to be losing, mind melting into nothing but pleasure as she moaned and grunted with each thrust of Jasper’s hand. She felt full and stretched, and tried not to think about the fact that it was only one of those far too skilled fingers inside her. Jasper moved her hand faster, harder, with enough force and deft timing to bring Pearl to a shattering orgasm all too quickly, her inner walls clamping around Jasper’s intruding finger as it they expected a reward. The very idea of it made it Jasper’s turn to shudder, lust filled eyes turning to take in Pearl’s face as she cried out without restraint in her wanton pleasure. 

Sagging in Jasper’s hold, Pearl needed a few moments to gather her thoughts, Jasper sliding her finger from inside the pirate and licking it thoughtfully. Pearl watched in a daze, shaking her head. 

“And here… I thought you’d be new to this…” Pearl managed, eyes widening as Jasper laughed in honest surprise and delight. The sound made Pearl blush in a new way, a smile lighting up her wrung out face as Jasper struggled to contain herself. “Don’t laugh! You just surprised me, that’s all!” 

“I surprised you, alright,” Jasper purred, still chuckling as she leaned down and crushed Pearl’s lips to hers, kissing her deeply. Pearl lifted her head up off the sand, letting her tongue dance with Jasper’s as the two made out in the afterglow of Pearl’s hard won orgasm. Jasper had no idea how many disappointing, drunken encounters it took to bring her here, finally. And, to avoid inflating her ego further, she would likely never find out. “Don’t tell me that was all it took, pirate.” 

“Please,” Pearl hummed, holding Jasper’s face in both her hands and watching her with a devastatingly sexy expression on her beautiful, kind face. “I’ve barely started. Now let me show you one of my tricks.”

“By all means,” Jasper purred, rolling as Pearl sat up suddenly and turned them in the shallow water, finding herself on top of Jasper without much resistance. Jasper watched her, a low purr of a growl rumbling in her chest. Pearl grinned, sliding her hips back so she could straddle Jasper’s a bit better, though it was a little awkward due to their difference in size. Still, Pearl knew what she wanted, her fingers quickly finding Jasper’s clit and rolling it between her forefinger and thumb encouragingly. 

“Have you done this before?” Pearl asked, her hand emphasising her point as she pressed her thumb to Jasper’s responsive clit, which was already perked up as if Jasper could read her mind. Or maybe it was just very obvious on her hungry expression. The orange gem nodded her head, gem glowing for a moment as she let her body change its shape under Pearl’s guiding hand. Her clit shifted, but did not lose any of its roiling sensitivity, growing longer and thicker as her folds tightened under it. Pearl watched the already hard cock as it sprang to its full size, at full attention, nestled firmly between her legs and Jasper’s body. She moaned at the feel of it, not quite expecting something that big, though it clearly made sense when she looked at the quartz warrior that bore it. 

“Is this what you wanted?” Jasper asked huskily, as Pearl’s hands wrapped around her member thoughtfully. Pearl lifted herself up, hovering just over the tip of Jasper’s new cock as she positioned it under herself. She did not bother answering the rather stupid question, guiding Jasper inside her slowly. 

It was tight. Incredibly tight, and scorchingly hot. Jasper hissed in pleasure, big hands grabbing hold of those much smaller hips as Pearl carefully impaled herself on Jasper’s rock hard cock. For a long moment, Pearl did not move, completely seated on Jasper’s hips and adjusting to the size of what was now fully buried inside her. Jasper could only stare, hands letting go of Pearl’s body as the smaller gem swatted her away. 

“Let me, Jasper,” she purred, melodic voice catching Jasper’s ears in just the right way to make her listen to any command, “just watch. And… enjoy.” 

Pearl straightened her body, thinking she had adjusted as best as she would to the fit inside her. Jasper’s previous efforts certainly helped, giving her a slick, heated core to envelope her new lover, though it was still a very tight fit. She moved carefully, lifting her hips, looking down at Jasper as the moon and stars glimmered in the sky behind her head and radiant, impossibly attractive face. For a moment, Jasper could not tear her eyes away from Pearl’s sexy face, her half lidded eyes casting some sort of spell over her and holding her completely captive. At least, until her body started to shift. At first, it was subtle, Pearl rolling her hips against Jasper’s, moving up a short distance and down as she did so. It kept Jasper deep inside her, her inner walls tightly gripping that hard shaft as it pulsed and shuddered eagerly in anticipation. After finding a gentle rhythm, moaning softly and closing her eyes as she focused on her work, Pearl lifted herself up and down over her length, driving down to take her as deeply as she could before sliding halfway back up. 

Jasper was entranced. It was like watching a dance that was being made just for her, personal and beautiful, to a music only they could hear. Pearl was lithe and graceful, seeming to glow in the moonlight as she arched and lowered her body, rolled her hips, and reached up to caress her own small breasts all for Jasper’s pleasure. She had never seen anything like it before, blushing deeply and finding herself feeling dizzy and thoroughly pleasured even before Pearl really started moving over her. Somehow, just the sight of her, so dedicated to giving herself to Jasper as she was, was threatening to overwhelm poor Jasper’s senses. 

Perhaps that was the goal. 

Pearl could hardly say she was not also enjoying herself, stuffed full as she was. She had set a strong pace now, bringing her hips up and driving them down with a moan each time she impaled herself, driving up to almost the tip of Jasper’s cock before taking her entirely back inside, inner walls gripping at her greedily each time as if her body did not agree with losing her each time. She loved the way it felt, she had to agree, to have Jasper fully inside her, stretching her so fully, yet daring to swirl her hips around in a small circle just to feel her at different angles inside her. Each time she came up, she came back down to a slightly altered degree, moaning and gripping Jasper as she felt her own pleasure building again dangerously. It was not the goal: she wanted to give Jasper the ride of her life, not the other way around, but it was far too good. They fit too well together, Pearl’s body accepting and hungry for what Jasper had to offer her. Jasper was at least in agreement there, her clawed hands finding Pearl’s hips again and helping drive her down with more urgency, almost leading her after a few thrusts of simply guiding her as her grip tightened. Pearl bit her lower lip as Jasper’s claws pricked her skin, her hold tightening and not allowing Pearl to pull up too far. Instead, she kept her close, taking over and thrusting up into her for only a few short moments before she found herself completely losing control. 

With a yelp, Pearl found herself being grabbed and rolled, on her back once more as Jasper pulled out of her to reposition them. She held onto Jasper’s arms for dear life as the quartz buried herself back into Pearl and began thrusting into her hard and fast, pushing her into the sand and shallow water and burying her face against Pearl’s small shoulder. Pearl wrapped her arms and legs around Jasper’s body as best as she could, crying out in pleasure as the rough, powerful pace threw her into an orgasm. Her clinging, desperate body dragged an almost violent growl from Jasper, who only pushed closer, almost completely engulfing her smaller lover as she fucked into her for all she was worth. 

“Pearl, pearl, pearl,” she heard herself chanting distantly, tongue and teeth scraping over Pearl’s neck, whatever skin she could reach, tight, almost deliciously bruising hands dragging her lithe body down over her even as she thrust her hips into her and felt her pushing back as helpfully as she could. Pearl could not form any real words, body tightening so much around Jasper’s hard cock that the bigger gem finally had to stop with a final thrust that left her as deeply buried inside her lover as both their bodies would allow. She came with an animal like cry of utter pleasure, flooding Pearl’s inner walls with her seed and pushing against her body desperately, as if wanting to drive it all impossibly deeper, pulse after pulse filling her lover and spilling out around them. She felt one wave fading as another crashed over her, literally and figuratively, Pearl crying out again as she felt another rush of cum shooting into her already far too full core. She lost count of how many times she came around that impressive, gorgeously talented cock, brain reconnecting some time later to find Jasper heavy and asleep on top of her, still buried deep and not quite flaccid. 

Pearl’s body was tingling, and she stared up at the sky, past Jasper’s shoulder, in a state of dumb struck awe. No one had ever made her climax that hard before, and certainly not that many times. Was it because Jasper really was that good? Or that Pearl had been too long without such a badly needed release? Or was it something else? Something a little more personal, and a bit too romantic for the pirate to consider ever happening to her, after all she had been through. She ran her hand lightly over Jasper’s arm, turning to look at the sleeping gem beside her, half her body slipping off to the side while her lower half was still locked in place. Giggling, Pearl reached down between them and freed herself very carefully, turning Jasper, who was out like a light. Well, at least Pearl was learning that Jasper was a very sound sleeper. 

Or maybe she had really needed that release, too. 

Whatever the case, Pearl moved to help Jasper rest on her back, though rest was still far from her mind. In fact, she was very keen on waking her lover up. The tide had moved out, the sand drying in the cool air of the deep night. Pearl scooted to run her tongue along the top of Jasper’s member, kissing the tip before taking the whole thing into her mouth, humming around it at the mixture of tastes. She was not familiar enough with Jasper to know which was hers and which was not, but she hardly seemed to mind as she dutifully set about ‘cleaning up’ after their enthusiastic love making. It was the least she could do. 

Jasper murmured in her sleep, opened her eyes and moaning softly as she felt a luscious heat around her sensitive cock, looking down to the beautiful sight of Pearl attending to her. If she could wake up this way more often, she would probably sleep more. As a gem, it was not required, though expending as much energy as they had certainly made it seem unavoidable. At least for one of them. 

“Pearl…” Jasper groaned, dropping her head back into the sand and letting her devilish pirate content herself. Pearl could feel Jasper hardening even as she took her deep into her throat, bending over her while she ran her hand over the mound that might have been a pair of balls had they been hiding two tight folds over an already wet and eager center inside behind them. Pearl slid two of her thin, long fingers inside Jasper, causing her to jump in surprise and moan in pleasure. “How can you still…?” 

Pearl had her mouth too full to answer, and did not want to be rude. 

It was Jasper’s turn to be at Pearl’s mercy, and she rather liked the way it was turning out. Pearl was once again focused on bringing her pleasure, except this time she could not interrupt very easily. She did shift her hips up a few times in response to the way she was being sucked on and swallowed around, but firm pushes on her hips from Pearl’s non-occupied hand told her not to try too far. The last thing she wanted was for Pearl to stop what she was doing. With her hand working inside her, and that warm, wet throat so skillfully coaxing her member, Jasper had nowhere to go but hurtling into yet another climax, though this time she was suitably drained and Pearl was able to swallow what Jasper had left and pull back without too much of a mess. She giggled, licking her lips and fingers daintily as she looked at Jasper as if she had won something. A rush of affection coursed through Jasper, and she reached out to grab Pearl’s arm, tugging her over suddenly. 

“Whoa!” Pearl fell against Jasper in surprise, looking at her and then blushing a bit when she caught sight of just how Jasper’s eyes were shimmering in the low light of the deep evening. She blushed, uncertain she deserved a look like that, and tried to look away. Jasper caught her face and held it there, the two staring at one another, before Jasper leaned forward. Instead of kissing her lips, Jasper placed a lingering kiss to Pearl’s cracked gem, causing it to glow faintly, and for Pearl to feel a very telling, fluttering sensation in her chest. 

“Jasper, I…” 

“Let’s find a warm place to rest,” Jasper interrupted, scooping her naked, thoroughly wrung out lover up and managing to walk them further inland. Pearl nuzzled against Jasper’s chest, staring up at her while the other determinedly tried not to look down at her now. They were both smiling, even as Pearl closed her eyes.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Jasper continue to bond, but are interrupted by some unexpected guests. Several long awaited reunions follow suit as the rebellious army rising against Yellow Diamond for control of the oceans begin to gather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone still reading this, I am so, so sorry for the wait. I had a bad run of anxiety following a particularly stressful holiday season at work, and it made writing all but impossible. I just wanted to make it clear that I am still interested in this story, and continuing it as best as I can! I still love and appreciate all the support from before, and hope a few of you are still out there!

The Pirate Captain knew all the little secrets of the island, including the hideaways and safety houses they kept scattered around the surface and under ground in case they received any unwelcome visitors. It was all installed by the denizens of the island over the years, each one improving the infrastructure, or providing their own style of changes to keep a modicum of comfort and familiarity in their lives, even if they were hiding or recovering. Pearl herself had a small hut under a dense grove of trees, with a comfortable bed and very little else. Not that Jasper was really looking around, as the two lounged together on the just big enough bed, warm and happily tired. 

“You really don’t have to feel so guilty,” the Pirate was saying, her voice a content hum as she rested face down on the bed, bare back and thin shoulders exposed to Jasper’s affectionate gaze. 

And deft, clever claws. 

Jasper was running her hands down Pearl’s long, pale back. Careful to explore the skin as if it were made of glass, she grazed her claws over the marks she had left on what was otherwise perfect skin. It made her frown, knowing she was responsible for the fresh scar, no matter how many times Pearl told her it would fade in time. Bending closer, Jasper pressed yet another kiss to the space between Pearl’s shoulder bladers, where the scar was the widest. With a grin, she watched as a shiver moved down the naked body beneath her, feeling every slight movement. 

Pearl shifted a bit to make sure Jasper had no choice but to stop, no matter how nice it was feeling. She turned onto her side, looking up at the big quartz as their bodies slid into place together. Somehow, every curve seemed to work in tandem, matched and accommodating, making it feel far too natural to be so close to one another. Neither were new to intimacy, and yet there was a gentle air of uncertainty, of virginity, between them. Hand left in the air with the sudden turn, Jasper’s eyes narrowed at the annoying pirate that so easily raised her ire. She lowered her claws to caress the soft curve of Pearl’s cheek instead, claws tracing a gentle trail down her curve of her jaw, along her alarmingly thin and fragile looking neck, and over her shoulders. Eventually, her hand found its way over Pearl’s chest, cupping her small, but perky and responsive breast before she bent and placed a kiss between them as she had done Pearl’s shoulders.

“Don’t start that again,” the pirate purred, running her hands through Jasper’s thick, wild hair and tugging it a little, just enough to bring her head back. “I’m going to go find my clothes. Since someone tossed them all over the island and into the sea.” 

“Why do you need them?” That hand again, rolling Pearl’s nipple and causing her to hiss in both approval and annoyance. 

“At some point I do need to return to my crew.” 

“But not right now.” 

“Well… no. But I’ll lose track of my clothes if I just leave it all out there. The wind and sea have probably already stolen it all. I can’t store anything in my gem, you know. I’ll be the naked pirate.” 

“I like that,” Jasper said with a shrug, eyes flashing teasingly before she ran her tongue, in feigned exploration, over the nipple she had gotten the attention of. It was not a new action for her, considering the course of the evening so far. Pearl groaned and shifted her body, but it was a mistake on her part in her effort to escape her eager new lover. Jasper slid her knee between Pearl’s now spread legs, pressing against her slick core in a way that just dared her to try and leave again. Pearl had to admit, it was one of the most dangerous challenges she had ever received. In many ways, she was not sure she wanted to win. 

\-------------------------

This was not the sort of litter she was accustomed to see in the waters around islands. This one, particularly, tended to be rather clean and well kept, with only the stray piece of paper or discarded food remains making their way into the ocean. Some others, like the fortress where Yellow Diamond built her armies and locked herself away, were surrounded in what could only be described as mostly floating dumps. Landfills, without the land. Not this place, where gems were difficult to spot and seemed to be hiding away. A curious little island, but a peaceful and clean one. One she liked visiting, and now it seemed she was not the only one. There was a ship docked off the far side of the island, in a tucked away alcove that offered its proud, if a little worn, sails cover from most eyes. Strangers, or visitors, and it had her curious to be brought here now. 

“I found another one. A shirt,” her companion said, swimming up beside her and offering her the soggy article of clothing. Giggling, she took it, offering the other a wink. She was the reason they had come here, though it was unlikely that the other knew the first actually visited here a few times before. Something, maybe fate, maybe circumstance, had led the other to bring her here now and that was really all the excuse she needed. 

“It looks like someone was having some fun, huh? Look, it’s ripped. And I don’t think it was a battle,” she giggled again, holding the shirt up to examine the buttons. 

“My stars,” her companion mumbled, with a roll of her eyes. “It’s too bad we’re going to ruin their good time.”

That sobered her, and she watched the stoic mermaid beside her for a long, thoughtful moment, before reaching her arm out and tugging her into a hug. It seemed to surprise her, and she even winced, which only made the hug tighter. Poor thing, struggling with her conscience and duty, just wanting to do the right thing, but not knowing what that was. What side she wanted, needed, to be on. 

“It’ll be alright. Try not to worry so much. Come on, let’s go back to where we found those pants.”

\-----------------------------------

Jasper lounged on the bed, limbs feeling heavy and languid, body unresponsive as she watched Pearl. It was a beautiful sight, in a strange and simple way, to see the notorious, annoying, and widely considered dangerous Nameless Pirate standing barefoot beside the bed. She was wrapped in a massively oversized white shirt Jasper offered her from her gem, the already loose fabric clinging and flowing around Pearl’s body in flattering ways.She had it cinched at the waist with a piece of rope from a storage box in the little safe house, and Jasper rumbled her approval in a warm, deep purr. Surprised by the noise, Pearl looked over at her new lover curiously.

“Liking what you see, hm?” 

“Very much so. You’re beautiful, Pearl.” 

“I…” 

Pearl blinked, looking down at herself, but not seeing whatever it was Jasper saw. She was a thin, stick like little thing in a bag of a shirt, with a dirty rope holding it all together. Her hair was messy and fluffy from drying without care after their swim, and she knew she had some new marks on her pristine skin that did not come from a battle. Marks Jasper would undoubtedly be proud of every time she saw them, this time, unlike the scar on her back. 

Ruffled in more ways than just physically, Pearl rolled her eyes and wandered to the door, waving her hand over her shoulder. 

“I’ll be right back.” She paused, leaning on the doorway and looking back at Jasper with a heated look on her face, eyes half lidded and full of promise. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?” 

“I have nowhere else to be,” Jasper pointed out leisurely, her words ending in that same, pleasured rumble. Pearl grinned at her and winked before slipping out into the darkness of the island, the cool air a stark difference to the body-heated comfort of the small room and just big enough bed. 

\-----------------------------

The Pirate had not been expecting to have any luck finding her clothes, considering she lost almost all of them in the water at varying points in her playful games with Jasper. So it was that she came upon a neatly folded pile of dried, familiar clothing with the utmost surprise. Standing at the cliff face were the meeting started, looking out over the water, Pearl arched an eyebrow in suspicious wonder at the gentle ruffles she saw in the otherwise still pool. In this outlet, the pull of the ocean was much softer, filtered through the rocks and shallows, leaving the waters immediately under the rock face still and quiet. The movement caught the observant gem’s eyes for a multitude of reasons, but she shrugged and moved to the clothes. 

They were nicely folded, with more care than Pearl had ever put into storing her own clothes. Someone with too much time on their hands, maybe, or perhaps someone looking to gain her attention. Her favor. Someone with a debt to repay, or so they might have thought, following a particularly chaotic fight on a Yellow navy vessel. 

“I appreciate you gathering these for me, Lapis,” Pearl said in a conversational tone, as if expecting the gem to be within earshot. “Though I hope you weren’t around to see me lose them. That might be embarrassing for one of us.” 

“Probably not you, though,” Lapis’ calm voice returned. The water moved again and Lapis surfaced, peeking up over the edge of the tiny cliff, putting her arms over the edge to rest on her elbows. She regarded Pearl with a soft look of surprise, though she supposed she should have assumed the clever pirate would figure it out. Maybe not quite so fast, but there were reasons behind the nameless pirate’s notoriety and ability to survive. 

“No, probably not. And you seem able to make eye contact with me, so that means you weren’t there. Good. Now we can have a conversation without any of that ‘I just saw you fuck’ weirdness. Believe me, some folks just can’t deal with it.” She laughed, as good natured as always, though Lapis Lazuli was giving her a very bland and unsure expression. She did not smile, looking severe and thoughtful, and Pearl sighed. Joviality would not do much to ease the tension, she supposed, and she moved to tug her boxers on under the big shirt Jasper had given her. 

“What brings you here, Lapis?” 

“I wanted to find you,” the blue mermaid said softly, after a beat. Pearl let the silence that followed linger, not prompting her to continue before she was ready. Whatever was weighing so heavily on her mind, she would get it out in her own time. Pearl turned to pulling her pants on while she waited. “I wanted to thank you… for saving my life. I saw what happened to you… I should have gone back, but I saw Jasper swimming for you and I just… I couldn’t do anything. I was scared. I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” Pearl asked pointedly, moving to sit beside Lapis, taking the shirt she had not yet put on with her and resting it in her lap. She looked out over the water, but tilted her head toward Lapis and glanced at her sidelong. “I’m all in one piece, aren’t I? Well. Mostly. You saw Jasper had things under control. You did what you needed to in order to safely get away from Yellow Diamond, and that was the best decision at the time. I’m glad you’re okay, Lapis.” 

The blue gem still looked strained. Pearl was not entirely surprised by that, glancing away again to allow her some time to gather herself. 

“Listen. Whatever was going on between you and Yellow Diamond’s navy can’t be changed. All you can do now is make your own decisions, and do what you think is right. Do you understand what I mean? If that means returning to Yellow, telling her where we are, and what you saw, then it is just something we will have to deal with. But I’m not going to treat you like an enemy before you prove yourself to be one.” 

Lapis was quiet for a long moment again, shaking her head.

“That’s a really dangerous way of thinking, you know.” 

“Yeah, I’m familiar.” 

“But… I really appreciate it, Captain. I just… I’ve been so confused, and I don’t know what to do. I’m trying, I really am, but everything is so complicated and different now. Being a mermaid… losing my job, my purpose. And I just need to clear my head somehow.” 

Pearl regarded her with a gentle smile, holding her hand out to her for a handshake. Lapis seemed surprised, but reached to take her hand carefully. Pearl felt it trembling in her grip, so she held it tighter. 

“How about you go and see Peridot? She’s been worried sick about you, you know. And she’s really, really annoying. So it’ll be helping me out, too. Get her to shut up about you for a few minutes.” 

It was surprising to see the deep blue color rise in Lapis’ stoic face, and Pearl hid her grin as quickly as it threatened to overwhelm her. She pat the back of Lapis’ hand, still in hers, before letting it go and leaning back, kicking her feet just below the surface of the water below. 

“She’s… y-yeah, okay. I… I’ll go see her. If she wants to see me…” 

“I think she’s on the ship, as if that’ll get us to leave faster-”

“What the hell are you doing here, Lapis?” Jasper’s rumbling voice cut through both the conversation and the otherwise still, calm night. Both water gems turned to look at her as she stomped her way over, hands clenched tightly at her sides. She came up behind Pearl, growling at the blue mermaid she had been tasked with keeping an eye on. Except she had no idea just how close to Yellow Diamond Lapis had been, or what her true intentions were in that arrangement. Really, she still had no idea, but that would not stop her from being angry about it. “Don’t you have some Diamond heel to be licking?” 

“Nice,” Pearl scoffed, rolling her eyes up at Jasper as she leaned back to regard her. “And they say pirates are rude.” 

“What? You saw what happened on the ship! She’s working for Yellow!” 

“Half my crew worked for Yellow,” Pearl countered pointedly, getting to her feet slowly. She looked down at Lapis, offering her a reassuring wink. “I can’t judge a gem on where they come from, just by what I see them do. And in this moment, all I’ve seen Lapis do is apologize, and bring me back my clothes so I’m not running around naked. So we’re on good terms.” 

“You look fine in my shirt,” Jasper snapped grumpily. She had shifted herself another one, dressed in the same baggy pants as before. The angry compliment just made Pearl laugh, which in turn infuriated Jasper further. 

“I’m sorry, Jasper. I know you must be confused about… everything. I am, too. But I… I did bring some help. For you guys.” 

Pearl tensed, feeling something in her chest sinking like an ice cold stone. 

“You brought someone else here? Lapis, this place has to be a secret…”

“I know. I saw. But…”

“She thought I could help support your efforts against Yellow Diamond, and my kind are behind me. If you need backup, an army of your own, then you have the mergems with you. And honestly, I’ve heard so much about you, Lady Pirate, that I just had to meet you.” 

The Queen of the Mermaids poked her head up over the edge of the small cliff with a smile, big, curly pink hair resting around her shoulders as if it had never been wet despite only just surfacing. She shimmered even without light shining on her, and Jasper fell to her knee immediately as she bowed her head to her ruler. Rose Quartz chuckled, shaking her head at her loyal knight, but watching her with a fond warmth as she took in how well she looked. In fact, Jasper seemed oddly happy, despite the scowl. 

Rose’s eyes shifted to the pirate, who was backing away on shaky legs. 

“Rose…” 

“So it is you… I thought it might be. I don’t know why… I know you.” Rose moved to hoist herself up onto the land, sitting on the edge of the water with her tail still submerged. It was very long, after all, and the cliff not all that big. Lapis scooted to allow her the space, though she was confused by the look on Pearl’s face. And Rose Quartz seemed to know her already, despite having said she was very curious in meeting the pirate that was vexing Yellow Diamond so much. 

“Stay back, Rose,” Pearl said feebly, but her knees were already shaking. Light pulsed from her gem, and she reached both hands up to cover it as pain splintered through her body. She felt her energy leave her, and the full weight of gravity hit her as if someone dropped a stone onto her head. Yet instead of hitting the ground she found herself tucked safely against the warmth of a big, now very familiar body. Blearily, she looked up to see Jasper staring down at her with wide, alarmed eyes. Another pulse burst from Pearl’s covered gem and she cried out, her body becoming engulfed in the purest of white light. When it faded, Jasper found herself holding on to the real Queen of the Mermaids, that beautiful mergem she saw so briefly after the battle on Yellow Diamond’s ship. Pearl’s former appearance, the one she said she had lost when she gave a piece of her gem to Pink Diamond. 

Jasper’s mouth fell open in surprise and mild horror. Rose watched on in concern, but stopped her attempts to get closer after Pearl’s plea, the gem on her stomach pulsing brightly in response to whatever was happening here. She looked down at the round quartz gem that made up her belly button, running her thumb over it and seeing a bright, white spot shimmering from deep inside it. 

Pearl groaned, clinging to Jasper’s arms, but unable to move or shift her form back into the one she had grown so accustomed to. 

“J-Jasper, please, move me away. P-please.” 

Still fighting her shock, Jasper listened dutifully. She scooped the beautiful mergem into her strong arms, though Pearl’s tail still dragged along the ground even with Jasper’s sheer size in comparison. She hurried to carry the gem to the tree line, setting her down once the pulse of her gem seemed to fade and Pearl stirred. The light returned but only for a moment as she was able to shift her form back, her legs tucked up under her as she leaned back against the tree and breathed a sigh of relief. The long crack on her gem had deepened from the strain, and Pearl held her hand to her forehead for a long moment as she gathered herself. 

“Y-you really are the lost queen. Your gem… it felt the piece you gave her, didn’t it? So I… I made love to…” 

“You really didn’t believe me?!” Pearl snapped, though her anger was quickly burst by a bubbling laughter that escaped her chest without her permission. Just looking at the aghast expression on Jasper’s face as she tried to bow to Pearl, a Queen, after fucking her senseless was just too much. She reached up and touched Jasper’s face, leaning up to kiss her sweetly in an effort to calm her. “I’m just a pirate. Remember that, okay? She doesn’t know what happened to her. Please, Jasper. For me. Hold it together.” 

“They both just saw you,” Jasper frowned, turning to look over her shoulder back at the two mergems now sitting on the cliff, both staring at them with a range of worry and confusion on their faces. Lapis, at least, had seen that mermaid before, though she lacked the knowledge of mergem history to know why it was significant. It seemed to make sense that a pearl was a mergem, even if she was pretending not to be one, though Lapis had no idea why she went to such lengths to hide her identity. Both Rose and Lapis saw the crack on her gem, though, and Rose held her hands over her mouth in horror. 

“Did I do something to hurt her, Jasper?” 

“No, my Queen,” Jasper tried, with a nod from Pearl, “this injury came from the battle.” 

“I’m okay, I just… I needed a little space,” Pearl called, but she could not bring herself to look over at the gem she had given her life to. She was struggling, and Jasper cupped her cheek in her own big hand to make her look up. There were tears in the pirate’s eyes as she was forced to look into Jasper’s face, and her expression shifted into one of silent pleading. Pearl cleared her throat and tried to sound like the confident, reckless pirate she needed to be. 

“But I appreciate you coming, the both of you. If you can, shift yourself some legs and join us at the main house. There’s someone you need to meet, if you’re serious about helping us against Yellow Diamond.”

Rose looked at Lapis, baffled, but realized Jasper was walking around on legs. She had no idea that mergems could do that, but of course, she had been instilled with the opposite information when she took over as Queen. And in truth, normal, water born mergems could not shift themselves a pair of legs unless they were dried out, but that was a cruel process that left them damaged in many ways. Invented by Yellow Diamond, and one of the many reasons Pearl hated her. 

“Go and help them figure it out,” Pearl breathed, needing a moment to herself anyway. Her head was a screaming mess, too many thoughts and memories suddenly fighting for attention. Her gem, of course, was also hurting, and adding to her problems. Still, composure was what she needed at the moment, and that was what she feigned with a half smile and a pat to the orange hand on her face. Jasper hesitated, but drew away carefully, leaving Pearl against the tree and turning to go and show the mergems how to change their forms. 

\---------------------------

It was all happening much too fast. Ever since she revealed her secret to Jasper, and then to her crew, everything about her life began to unravel. Now the others would learn her true identity, and she was not sure she was ready for that. They had only just come to know she was just a pearl. 

Pearl was no longer a Queen. She did not want her crew to treat her differently because of it. It was a life she was forced to leave behind, in a time of utter loss and confusion, and those were not memories she liked to relive. Especially not so many times in a short period. She was not worried that Amethyst or Bismuth, or any of the others, would betray her or be angry with her for all these secrets, knowing them to be better than that. She also knew, however, how loyal and honest they were. Serving a Queen could easily make the pirate life a lot more complicated than it needed to be. And the pity that might follow her tale. The eyes looking at her like she was less and less, as though her losses defined who she was. 

She was more than a former mergem. At least, that was what she had always told herself. Now, facing a time she spent her new life trying to forget, she was no longer sure she had ever gotten away from it all. Where did the truth end, and the lies begin? How much of her was fake, an effort to forget, to move on, to find revenge? 

How much of that would survive in the light?

\-------------------------------

Jasper walked alongside Rose Quartz and Lapis Lazuli, feeling a strange air of deja vu. Instead of teaching Lapis how to swim, however, she had been spending her time teaching Rose how to walk. For now, the Queen was leaning on her arm, wobbling now and then but managing to get her steps organized enough not to fall down. At least not more than once. 

Twice, as she got back to her feet with Jasper’s help, a soft giggle filling the wooded island. Pearl grimaced, holding her hand to her gem, though she was walking a safe distance ahead of them as she led them back toward the main house. She refused to look back at them. 

Rose did not fail to notice this. 

“Why does the pirate seem so familiar to me, I wonder?” she asked no one in particular, leaning on Jasper’s arm with Lapis at her other side. Jasper glanced down at her, but returned her eyes to the path ahead. Or at least, that was what she was pretending to look at, as her focus remained on the damaged, emotional Pearl ahead of them. So far, in their short time together, Jasper had never seen Pearl so upset. Rattled. Generally, she approached things with a cocky calm, the infuriating kind. It was part of her charm. Sort of.

“I’m not sure, my Queen,” Jasper mumbled. 

“We’ve been hearing a lot about her recently. Maybe you’ve heard about her before, too,” Lapis offered. 

“But I never imagined her to be a pearl, not now that I’ve seen her. And when she collapsed, transformed? She was so striking. I felt as though I had seen her before, but I can’t call a memory of her forward. And her eyes,” Rose’s voice fell, and she hugged Jasper’s arm a bit tighter. “When she saw me, I saw nothing but sorrow. I am so curious to learn more about this pirate.”

“I imagine you’ll learn more than you can handle in due time,” Jasper sighed. She did not say anything more, despite the hard stares she was getting from the gems at her side. She was ignoring them stalwartly, though, as Pearl disappeared into the big house. 

“Oh, wow!” Rose said, looking up at the strange building. Weather beaten, clearly cared for in a cobbled together manner, but impressive and unlike any of the dwellings she had been in under the water. This was her first time entering a land dwelling, and she was childishly excited. She even dared to hurry forward, leaving Jasper’s grip and doing her best approximation of a run before stopping short at the door. She stopped, staring at it, before Jasper came over and opened it for her. 

Doors were also not exactly common, in Rose’s small world. 

\---------------

Amethyst was staring at the cards in her hand, thinking has hard about her next move as she had ever done in the heat of battle. It would be vital, picking the right number, or else Peridot would easily be able to figure out she had already lied in her previous turns. And lying was generally not a favorable tactic in Go Fish, but it was not the First Mate’s fault that Peridot had chosen to play with a pirate. 

Getting her off of the ship after she went back to it was difficult. One, because she had taken their row boat and it took a while to find one of the stored ones that was capable of the journey. Two, Peridot was stubborn and still pretending she did not like them. She wanted to hide on the ship and watch the sea, for one reason or another. Amethyst thought it was a waste of time, and they already had a look out. 

One with psychic abilities, instead of green tinted glasses.

“Do you have any threes?” 

“What? I asked you that and you said you didn’t,” Peridot growled, waving her stack of cards at the purple gem accusingly. She got up, ready to really start yelling, but her words caught in her throat as the door opened. Pearl entered first, but moments later a strange group of gems followed behind her. There was Jasper, who looked unhappy and quickly followed after Pearl as she retreated to another room. There was a beautiful Quartz with thick, curly pink hair that cascaded around her round shoulders, a look of pure delight on her face as she hurried over to Amethyst and shook her hand eagerly. And there was a blue gem, whose eyes immediately locked with Peridot. She raised a hand awkwardly, her demure expression falling into one of barely contained tears. 

“Hey, Peridot.” 

“Lapis!”

Peridot leaped over the table they had been playing their card game on. Unfortunately, her short legs had turned to jelly and she managed to land directly on the table before scrambling off of it and landing hard on her knees. She was still moving, though, getting to her feet and hauling herself forward toward Lapis Lazuli. 

Surprised by the sudden rush of emotion and display, Lapis could only catch Peridot as the gem launched herself into a tight hug. They had not really worked together all that long, a few months on the sea, but they had forged a very strong bond in that short time. Lapis hugged Peridot tightly, just glad to have a small, happy part of her former life back. Something that was not confusing or dangerous, at least as far as she could tell. 

Peridot was saying something, but with her face buried in Lapis’ shirt, there was no hope of hearing the words. Still, Lapis felt she understood what she was saying, rubbing her back and nodding along with it. 

Amethyst blinked, staring at the Rose Quartz that was now picking things up and examining them with varying levels of enthusiasm, then looking at the reunion between the green and blue gems. 

“What the hell is going on?”

\---------------


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two plans develop at once, as villains and heroes draw lines in the sand for their final stands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I didn't think this would ever happen, either. Yet here's another chapter. To anyone that reads this, or shares it, or remembers it, thank you so much! During this very difficult time, any sort of support is much loved. I only hope that updating this story might bring a little relief to others stressed by the current state of things. 
> 
> I intended to impliment a shorter chapter policy, so I might update more frequently as things remain crazy at work, but once I got writing that didn't really work out. So! Here's an almost full size chapter! Very talky, but so, so much fun to write. 
> 
> Next time: pirate party and maybe a confrontation or two!

It was cold inside Yellow Diamond’s throne room. Yet the crackle of low flames could be heard high above, as Yellow Pearl stood in the shadows of the suspended furnace high above her. It hung near to where Yellow was sitting in deep contemplation, her silence, and anger, bearing heavily around the room. No gem present could miss it, as if Yellow had turned her fury into a force all its own, pushing down on them harder than anything nature could produce. She said nothing, and had not in almost an hour now, leaving Agate on one knee and trembling. 

Yellow Diamond leaned forward and blew across the coals that were simmering in the long, burning pit of metal and stone. Small flames licked up around the embers, but mostly smoke rose from the fireplace to greet the figures dangling above it. Several small pearls, fished out of the ocean not too long ago, were all tied to a grate that hung just above the suspended furnace. Each was tied uncomfortably, not to restrain them, as they had no hope of escaping anyway, but to keep their gems as close to the coals as possible. With the new wave of heat, some of them managed plaintive sounds of suffering, though two or three had already fallen completely silent. None had tears to spare by now, their bodies dried of any lifeforce their home in the sea had provided them. 

Yellow Pearl flinched, but remained otherwise composed, hand folded across her chest in the salute given to Diamonds. Agate glanced up again, hoping at last that this stirring meant she would be addressed. Given some sort of order. Or at the very least told to leave. Kneeling there, silently begging to be released, was pure torture on her already frayed and stretched nerves. Things had not gone as well at sea as any of them had hoped, but the fact that Yellow Diamond had been forced into combat, even embarrassed and her ship ruined, by that pirate was too much for any of those present in the court to bear. 

Which made coming up with a plan following such a defeat rather difficult, as Agate had no intention of mentioning it at all while also trying to seek her next set of orders. 

“Do you know,” Yellow’s voice rumbled through the silence, cutting it so abruptly that Agate actually gasped, though she was quick to cover her mouth with both hands. Yellow continued, as if not hearing her, “why I love pearls?” 

\-------------

It was warm inside the largest room the hideaway had to offer. A long table sat in the middle of it, with most of the gems gathered around it. A fireplace was burning low in the corner, but a grate kept it from being uncomfortable for the pearls in the room. Even so, the pirate captain was situated as far from is as she could get, whether on purpose or simply an unconscious instinct, with Jasper standing rather protectively beside her. She was not at the table, either, sitting on a cabinet that had never been intended as a seat, while Jasper leaned against it. 

At the center of the table sat Blue Diamond, still keeping to a smaller form than she was capable of, and beside her on either side were Blue Pearl and Sapphire. Across from her was Rose Quartz, Lapis Lazuli at her side. Peridot was next to Lapis, though she was staring in wonder at the pink gem currently looking curiously at a burning candle stick. Down the length of the table on either side of the two rulers were the rest of the gems from Pearl’s crew, and those added along the way. 

“Go on, little one,” Blue Diamond said gently, looking at Lapis, who frowned in discomfort. Peridot gripped her hand encouragingly, knowing from their mission together that the blue gem in question was not a big fan of being in the spotlight. She had never wanted to use her powers or do their part of the trip around anyone but Peridot, which always made the green gem feel strangely proud. 

“I don’t really know where to start,” Lapis said stiffly. 

“Tell us what Yellow Diamond was really planning, when she sank the ship you guys were on,” Pearl said from her corner, though any eyes that turned toward her would find her staring out a window and not looking toward the table. 

“Yeah. Okay. Uh. Well. Peridot and I were there to collect pearls. Find where they lived. I was supposed to trap them once we drew them out.” She glanced at Peridot, frowning. “Sorry Peri. I know they probably didn’t tell you. You thought we were just surveying the area, right? To find the mermaids, maybe, but not… the rest of it. There’s a lot more. She sank our ship with her newer models. Only the Agate commanders and I were supposed to come back, the rest were just meant to be bait.” 

“Right, because it’s the nature of a pearl to help others,” Jasper said, glancing at the pirate beside her. Pearl remained still, and did not turn away from the window. 

“Yeah. And Yellow wants them.All of them.”

\-------------

“Their beauty, my Diamond?” Agate squeaked, from between her fingers. 

“There is that. But how shallow an answer that is. No. I love them, because they are useless. And in that pointless existence of theirs, I have found something perfect. Yellow Pearl. Dance for me.”

“Yes, my Diamond,” Yellow Pearl said evenly, bowing her head and stepping out from under the shadows of the suspended fire pit, so her Diamond could see her as she began to dance gracefully to no music at all. Agate watched, baffled, then looked back up at her Diamond. 

“Brainless servants, aren’t they? Willing to do whatever is asked of them. Labor, Agate. They can do so much more than make a room prettier, and serve tea to dignitaries. If properly trained, they can provide menial labor to gems of any kind, or be expensive, perfect gifts among the elite. I can do anything I want with them, and as I expand my empire, everyone will come to see them. To want them.”

\-----------

“I see,” Blue Diamond sighed, leaning back in her chair. “That does sound like the Yellow Diamond I know. Ruthless. Goal oriented. And so very nasty when it comes to her intentions. I used to believe us to be very close, but after she gave me my own pearl… the night she came to shatter me… I had no idea what she was truly planning. Now I see my mistake.” 

“What do you mean, your Radiance?” Rose Quartz asked politely, trying to show another ruler the respect she deserved, which made the Diamond smile for a flicker of a moment before it faded once again. Sapphire saw it, though, and her eye widened a bit in surprise under the cover her of her long hair. 

“Yellow using the pearls is a secondary, selfish scheme of her own avarice. It is only a stepping stone, a very small one, in her greater goals,” that was Pearl’s voice again, and now she hopped down from the furniture, looking at Blue Diamond and Rose Quartz without drawing any closer to them. Her gem glowed dimly under the cover of her trusty bandana. “She wants to wipe out an entire race, to use us as pretty little gifts to charm the rulers of the land. The mermaids don’t mean anything to her. She just sees us as ornaments and garbage, to either be used or thrown away as necessary.” 

“Pretty much,” Lapis sighed. 

“She does love pearls, in her way,” came a soft, shy voice almost forgotten and lost beside the Diamond. Blue Pearl peeked up from her master’s side, looking at her apologetically for speaking out of turn. “But it’s very twisted. I’ve seen it. I… experienced it.”

All the wind in the pirate captain’s sails was taken then, and her shoulders drooped. 

“I… I’m so sorry, Blue Pearl, I completely forgot… I didn’t mean that about you…” 

“Oh, it’s okay, Captain. I know what you meant. And you’re right. She uses pearls like presents and servants. She wants to… make us into something valued and craved, so she can have that much more power over the rulers of the land.”

“The land?” Rose Quartz frowned, and Blue Diamond nodded solemnly.

“Yes, she hopes to encroach on her Eminence the Emperor White Diamond’s rule over the land, dissatisfied with her spot in the ocean and the small islands she has been granted. She never wanted a Navy. She wants to rule the world, and sees herself fit to command Armies to do it.” Blue Diamond shook her head, looking a little overwhelmed as she searched her memories, piecing them together in a way she had never done before, afraid to face the truth about Yellow Diamond and her heartless thirst for power. 

“That’s why she shattered Pink Diamond, then,” Pearl said, crossing her arms over her chest.

\------------

She rose from her throne, moving around the fireplace and letting the pearls hanging there continue to dry out. Looking down, she fixed a dark glare at the general that had already failed her more times than would normally be forgiven. 

“Ready the Pink Diamond.”

“The… m-my Diamond, the preparations have not yet-”

Another glare, but silence with it. It was saying more than enough, Agate losing her nerve for a moment. That feeling of intensity bore down on her again. Yellow Pearl continued to dance. 

“They have not seen combat yet,” Agate almost whispered, worried now for another failure with an untested crew. 

“I intend to bring them that opportunity. I will be sailing immediately. I am not asking you for your opinions, Agate. Nor your permission. If you cannot follow my orders, I have many who can. Now. Ready. My. Ship.”

\-----------

“For as long as anyone can remember, White Diamond has ruled this planet. Though not all agree with it, there is no denying her flag unites us all together. Sometimes her rule, however, can feel distant… tenuous at best. Yellow Diamond no longer feels the need to heed a ruler she cannot see and has no fear of. She thinks she deserves more than what she has been given, and has been actively seeking it for ages. First, the seas, which were split between myself and her before Pink Diamond came into power. So charming, that little Diamond, it was no wonder White Diamond wanted to give her something. 

“Yellow was angry enough to have to split what little domain she felt she had claim to, the vast oceans meaningless to her name and rule, with the new Diamond. But when White Diamond offered Pink a continent of considerable size, following a coup that left its former ruler and the would be usurper shattered, I think something in Yellow Diamond snapped. She had been passed up by some little, as she would call her, upstart.” 

Pearl listened to Blue Diamond’s explanation, bristling a bit with hatred until a big, orange hand gently found its way to the small of her back, fingers flexing over the muscles there and calming her. Pearl leaned against the body attached to that hand, but did not glance up at her. Amethyst noticed, though, and tried to hide an inappropriately timed smirk. 

“Of course, Pink Diamond refused the rule. Something kept her tied to the ocean, and she was unwilling to leave it. But of course, Yellow Diamond never heard that, shattering her before her answer could be delivered to White Diamond. I do not believe even Yellow Diamond knows that Pink never wanted that land she died for...”

Pearl’s eyes flickered over to Rose Quartz, who was enraptured by the tale. 

“White Diamond then offered that land to me, but I barely began to consider it before I was attacked by Yellow Diamond. Either she knew, and was further enraged, or guessed that she would be looked over again. Or worse yet, she was just ensuring she was the only option left…”

“And all of that, marked by the gift of a pearl, eh? I wonder if she offered one to Pink Diamond, or was too enraged to even bother with formalities there. It seemed more like a heat of the moment type of attack, where her assassination attempt of you, your Radiance, was premeditated.” Pearl looked over at Blue Pearl again, frowning softly. “She… never mentioned any of this to you, did she?” 

“If she did it while she was drying us out, I don’t remember…”

\-------------

“Look at them, Yellow Pearl,” the Diamond said softly, holding her most loyal servant in her hand and bringing her close to the furnace as it swayed slightly as she moved closer to it. The movement caused one of the pearls to moan softly, but no sound or movement escaped the others. Yellow Diamond blew over the coals, causing them to burn brighter and release another billow of smoke that only furthered darkened an already dark place. Yellow Diamond did as she was commanded, as always, though for a moment she thought she did not want to. 

But that was impossible. 

“Yes, your Radiance. They’re beautiful.” 

“They will be. Look at this one,” She used her free hand to touch one finger to the gem hanging nearest to her. A pearl with her gem on the center of her forehead, much like a pirate the Diamond refused to think about. She curled the tip of her finger under the gem’s jaw, drawing her face up a bit. The angle looked painful enough already, with her arms pulled back behind her and almost tied to her legs to keep her gem directly above the coals, and the new twist to her neck was not adding any relief. Dimly, she opened her eyes. 

Yellow Pearl could not tell what color they might have been. They were dark grey now, like the rest of her body, and her gem. All life had been drained away from her skin, her eyes, and she looked no different than the gems hanging around her save only the placement of their gems. 

“Hold her like this for me, my Pearl,” Yellow said gently, her tone almost kind. Yellow Pearl stood on the palm of her master’s hand, reaching up to take over holding the pearl’s face as carefully as she could. The captive’s eyes turned toward her, and for a moment a spark of hope filled them. A silent plea passed between them, but Yellow Pearl could only pretend not to hear it. Yellow Diamond brought her finger up again, but this time she touched the tip of her sharp nail to the top of the pearl’s gem, just before it met the skin of her forehead. She pushed in, and suddenly the pearl was screaming. The sound filled the room, and Yellow Diamond released her in terror, dropping back onto her master’s hand and watched as Yellow Diamond dragged her claw in a small diamond shape along the softened surface of the gem. 

The pearl stopped screaming. 

Pulling her hand away, Yellow admired her work. 

“Well, it would have been neater if you had held on, but I can see my hands are just too big for it. Perhaps this can be your new duty, the final step in my drying process, to make the perfect, most loyal gems I can possibly create. Truly brainless servants. If and when she wakes, she will only know what she is told to know. Of course, there are some issues to work out. Any pearl left too damaged will be… added to the coals.” 

Yellow Pearl stared at her, for a moment, not understanding. She turned her shaken gaze toward the fire pit, examining the coals that burned lowly. Among them were stones that once shimmered, heated embers of shattered pearls that did not burn away, but instead continued to produce and radiate heat from the coals around them. 

The little Yellow Pearl could not stop herself. She lifted her hand to her face in horror, and in that moment felt a hot tear roll down her cheek. Yellow Diamond closed her hand around her pearl, pulling her away from the fire.

\------------

The room had fallen into silence. Pearl leaned on Jasper still, arms folded over her chest as she considered everything they had spoken about. She found herself angry, but not just at Yellow Diamond. Not just at the idea that her kind were slated to be used as trinkets and gifts of favor so Yellow Diamond could worm her way to greater power on the land. Not just at the cruel fate Blue Pearl had endured, the same all of her kind would be subjected to if they could not stop what were increasingly impossible odds. No, she found herself angry at a different Diamond altogether. 

“It’s time to stop hiding,” she said, looking at Blue Diamond directly. Blue looked away from her, closing her eyes. “You can’t pretend this isn’t your fight any more. I’ve protected you all this time, because I knew you were afraid. I never pushed you, I never asked more from you than I thought you were capable of. Because I made the same mistake Yellow has. I thought you were weak.” 

“Pirate, you’re speaking to a Diamond,” Jasper reminded her with a low growl. She still remembered her rank, and the level of respect it required when speaking to their Diamonds. She still employed all that training when she dealt with Rose Quartz, after all, so to hear Pearl being borderline insubordinate was a bit jarring.

Of course, Pearl did not work for anyone. She was not bound by the same rules. 

“You’re not weak, are you? You want to stop her, just as badly as we do. You have a few soldiers left here. A ship. I have my crew, my vessel. We have to do something. Stop her in her tracks, before she can build any more power. We need to attack her at the heart of her operation. Lapis, Peridot. You know where that is.”

“I… err. Well. The likelihood that we would be able to launch the scale of an attack we would need to even penetrate the lowest defenses of her fortress-” Peridot began, but Rose Quartz interrupted by standing. She wobbled awkwardly on her still rather new legs, and both Lapis and Peridot moved to steady her. Their hands met on her back, and Peridot flexed her fingers over the back of Lapis’s hand before holding on to it loosely. Lapis simply blushed, watching Rose. 

“I have my people. If she wants to destroy the mergems, then we will go down fighting. I would rather be shattered in a battle against her than see her subjugate what should be free gems, and steal them away from their homes in the ocean! We can fight-” 

“No, you can’t,” Pearl barked back, “do you really think pearls stand a chance against whatever Yellow has brewing? She’s probably got hundreds of quartz gems, or bigger, sitting in stone, just waiting to jump out and start smashing. They’re just pearls! ” 

“You don’t have faith in your people?” Jasper asked, surprised, and Pearl stared at her for a long moment, caught off guard by the question. Amethyst stood up, curious, and drew closer to her Captain. With her, Ruby, Bismuth, and the soldiers formerly aligned with Yellow followed. Pearl looked at them, then across the distance of the table to the blue gems sitting together, then to Rose Quartz. Finally, her gaze settled on her own hands. Jasper’s hand on her shoulder tightened its grip. “You’re just a pearl too, you know. And you’re one of the strongest gems I’ve ever seen.” 

“We…” Pearl argued softly, “we don’t have time to make a navy out of mermaids.” 

“Then you’ll have to settle for a bunch of pirates,” Rose said, stepping carefully closer to the pearl. She remembered how painful it had been for her last time she drew close, but she did not know why. She held her hand out, defiant eyes blazing. “Were any of your crew soldiers before you recruited them? And now there’s nothing they can’t do. Please, lady pirate. Captain.” 

Blue Diamond stood, coming around the table to stand with Rose Quartz. 

“I suppose I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a pirate. If you’re willing to take me on as an extension of your crew. I think this would make you an Admiral, hm?” She kneeled, bowing her head, and Rose, brightening, did the same. She still held her hand up, though, until she felt soft, trembling hands take hold of it. 

Lifting her eyes, Rose Quartz found herself staring into painfully familiar, tear filled blue eyes. Pearl had pulled off her bandana, hair fluffy and wild because of it, but it was her gem that drew focus. It glowed brightly, shimmering a beautiful rainbow aura around the room. Her grip tightened and she gave Rose’s hand one firm shake before releasing it, looking at the two rulers, a Diamond and a Queen, bowing to her. 

“Alright, alright. Get up, you land lubbers. There’ll be none ‘o that in me crew,” she grinned, though Jasper was close enough to hear the shake in her voice as she called on her forgotten accent. The one she used to hide her identity behind. 

“It looks like we’ve got a lot of work to do, in a very short amount of time, if we’re going to take on Yellow Diamond.” She looked around the room, taking a breath and standing as tall as she could. “Are you all ready to take down a tyrant, and possibly die in the process?!” 

A raucous cheer filled the room, echoing across the small island. The noise drew many of the remaining inhabitants, who quickly learned what was going on through their Diamond and her servants, and joined in on the cheering. 

Following tradition when facing impending doom, a party broke out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a gem pirate party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do intend to add a special short bonus chapter after this, though it's not technically required reading. But if anyone is curious what those gems at the end are getting up to, I am more than happy to provide.

A giant bonfire was burning brightly on the beach, blankets and makeshift tables laid out in a wide radius around it. Rose Quartz was looking delighted as she tried to help, but she was still new to her legs and land customs, so she mostly resigned herself to following Blue Diamond around like a lost puppy. To her own surprise, as much as everyone else’s, Blue Diamond did not mind at all, showing Rose Quartz what she was doing and even smiling, almost laughing, at how innocent she was. Sapphire stuck close to Blue Diamond, staying mostly quiet while she watched the activities around her curiously. 

Bismuth created a makeshift barbeque space out of sheets of metal, some stone and wood she gathered from the island, and tools from the ship. She took up cooking a ton of meat, hunted and provided by Kyanite, and Citrine while Ruby and Carnelian gathered fruits and vegetables to enjoy with the hearty meal. Of course, there was no shortage of alcohol from the stores of Pearl’s ship, from wine and beer to many barrels of fairly dubious ‘grog’, which could be comprised of anything so long as the end result stayed the same. Pirates, in a pinch, were not exactly picky. 

Pearl had taken a bottle with her up to the roof of the main building, looking out over the festivities and relaxing as she emptied it leisurely. Behind her, she heard someone hauling themselves up to the rooftop to join her, though she did not remember inviting anyone. 

“I came up to such a difficult perch to reach for a reason, Jasper,” Pearl sighed, not feeling like sharing her very complicated thoughts with someone that just made everything even more jumbled. She turned at the grunt in response, not sure why the soldier was having such a difficult time climbing up to her, only to see Amethyst rolling her way over the edge of the roof top and clinging to the tiles in a desperate effort to keep from going back down the way she came. 

“First Mate…” 

“Cap’n,” Amethyst huffed, already deep in her cups as well, it seemed. She moved to plop down next to the pearl in triumph, leaning her shoulder against the other and looking up at her. Pearl was stiff and did not return the relaxed gesture, glancing away from whatever it was she had been staring at. Frowning, eyebrows furrowing, Amethyst tried to follow the line of her gaze, but it was not all that hard to figure it out once she saw the big, excitable Queen of the Mermaids chatting with Blue Diamond far below. 

Amethyst breath a heavy sigh, taking the bottle from the captain and taking a long pull. 

“Stuff got real messy in a hurry, huh?” She said at length, offering the bottle back. Pearl took it and took her own turn, wincing. 

“It sure did,” she relented, finally looking at Amethyst with a sad glimmer in her eyes. Amethyst had seen it before, maybe hundreds of times over their long journeys together, but it was not until tonight that she began to understand what it was. 

\--------------

Lapis Lazuli watched in wonder as the big, grey pirate threw large slabs of meat onto the grill she had created, looking proud and eager and like she was having fun in such a simple task. She was holding a big glass of undefined alcohol while the flames leaped up around the meat she was cooking, which did not seem altogether like the best idea but Lapis was in no position to tell her how to do her work. It was not like she knew anything about cooking. Or fire, for that matter. Water had always been where she was the most connected, though she had never imagined herself living in it. 

Peridot, on the other hand, was already three paragraphs deep into an essay she must have written in her head to explain all the things Bismuth was doing wrong, and how she could improve them. At last, Bismuth put her glass down on a nearby workstation where her tools for making delicious, albeit rustic, food were also resting. She turned calmly to Peridot, hands on her own hips as she looked down at the startlingly small gem. Peridot had her eyes closed, rattling off a list of sanitary concerns she was making up while talking about them in great length. 

“Listen, pipsqueak,” Bismuth grunted, “you wanna take a turn at it? Put all that knowledge in that weirdly shaped head of yours to some use, or are you just one of those ‘all talk’ types?” 

Lapis stepped over, clearing her throat. Peridot looked stunned and looked over at the blue gem that could clearly see things taking a hostile turn if she did not bring some calm to the conversation. Thankfully, she had a strange amount of calm about her at that moment. All the stress of her secrets, of her battle to pick a side, had somehow vanished. Maybe it was the party air, or just being reunited with her friends, or knowing that their best chances were finally assembled together. Or maybe… 

“She’s definitely all talk,” Lapis said, putting her hand on Peridot’s shoulder and standing behind her. 

“I am more than talk! I understand the intricacies of the science behind food preparation, even if I never put that knowledge into application before! I am certain I could do an exemplary job of it-” 

“Peridot, that meat is bigger than you are.” 

“A lot of things are bigger than I am, but that does not mean I am intimidated by them! Like this pirate, for instance! I have learned-” 

A loud laugh broke her protest, Lapis and Peridot looking up as Bismuth laughed heartily and clapped a hand on each of their shoulders and dragged them close to her for a tight hug. Both were lifted off the floor, groaning as Bismuth tightened her grip with her arms. She smelled like ash and meat, and no small amount of alcohol, making Peridot wrinkle her nose and kick her feet wildly. Lapis let the hug happen, blushing and looking rather stunned. 

“You two are okay, you know that? Let me finish the food and you go make problems for someone else, eh? I’ll give you a meal you’ll never forget, to go with the rest of this night. Got it?”

“I can’t find the ground!” Peridot yelped, still flailing her feet and only making Bismuth laugh harder. To her own surprise, and for the first time in a long stretch of recent history, Lapis began to laugh as well.

\-----------------

“Big B has the food going, what should we do now?” Kyanite looked to her teammates, arms folded over her chest as she watched Bismuth pick up two smaller gems and hug them with a loud laugh. She shook her head, smiling fondly at the strange pirate. “Looks like she’s got things under control.” 

“Yup,” Carnelian grinned, holding a glass out to Kyanite. She and Citrine already had their own. Kyanite took it, looking at the drink and heaving a sigh. In Yellow Diamond’s army, things like this were impossible to even imagine, let alone see herself enjoying in a not too distant future. She still was not quite sure how her life had turned around so much that she found herself in a crew of pirates, but the longer she stayed with them the more she felt there was nowhere else she was meant to be. 

Citrine quietly put her hand on Kyanite’s arm, seeing the look on her face. Kyanite stirred, glancing up and catching the warmth in the other former soldier’s face. Chuckling, Kyanite used her free hand to rub a tear from her eyes and grinned brightly instead. 

“Guess we just do what pirates do, eh?” 

\---------------

“She can be so stubborn, too, but what am I supposed to do about that? I was always the stubborn one so maybe I’m just not used to it coming back at me. What are the odds that she’d end up guarding who is basically my ex, even if she can’t remember and we never actually broke up. Or dated. Ugh.” Pearl had lost track of herself in her venting session, which started almost the moment the bottle the two had been sharing emptied. Amethyst was sitting there, completely lost, but letting her captain rant all she wanted. She was not sure if it was helping, exactly, but her Captain was certainly more animated now. 

If only she could say something that made sense, or maybe was not about Jasper or Rose Quartz. 

“I’m better off alone, right? Anything I care about, I break. I don’t... get love.”

Pearl was on her feet, wobbling on the uneven surface of the roof and waving her arms. She was still holding the bottle, which could become a projectile at any moment regardless of if she put thought into throwing it or not. She jumped up onto a raised part of the roof, a hidden attic inside the building giving her a bit more height. Clinging to the spire that raised up out of the roof’s tip, Pearl looked out over the sea beyond the party, stars and water meeting and fusing across the horizon until they were indistinguishable. It was a beautiful, terrifying, endless eternity that Pearl knew was her past, present, and future. On that horizon was everything, and she spent her life chasing it. If she could ever be something, ever mean anything, or leave a memory behind, that was where she would do it. She just had to keep going.

Keep sailing. 

A large orange figure sitting on the beach, just away from the last bonfire that lined the party grounds, caught Pearl’s eyes. She slouched against the roof, and nearly jumped out of her skin when Amethyst hopped up beside her and almost knocked her from her already precarious perch. Amethyst seized her, dragging her into a tight, barely balanced, hug. Pearl dropped the bottle and it rattled its way harmlessly down the roof tiles before falling to the sand below. 

Despite every expectation, it did not break. 

“Cap’n. You’re going to be okay. I dunno why you think you don’t get love, because there are sure a lot of us giving it to you. You deserve it, too. So just let us. Let her. You know? This is where we are. Who we are now. No matter what else, all this stuff I don’t really get and you don’t really explain, we’re gonna be together. The crew.” 

The drunk purple gem looked up at Pearl, holding her at arm’s length. Pearl felt completely off balance, dangling over the edge of the roof and knowing she could drop at any moment. Amethyst did not let go, her grip sure despite the alcohol. Pearl watched her in a daze, then offered her a shaky smile. 

“My crew,” Pearl sighed at last. Leaning forward, she settled her feet on the roof and looked down at Amethyst, moving to pat her on the head. “Let’s go party.” 

“You got it, Cap’n.” 

\----------------

Jasper was not sure she was built for these sort of social interactions. It was hard for her to be close to so many gems, while knowing that beyond all the revelry and play there was a war brewing. A war they were not equipped to fight, but would be at the front of anyway. How could the pirates be so reckless? All those burning fires and the noise: if there were scout ships out there looking for them, it would be far too easy to squash their little rebellion before it even really started. 

It was dangerous, as everything with that pirate captain seemed to be. 

“Hey Jasp, you wanna dance?” An almost unfamiliar voice cut into her thoughts, and Jasper turned her head with an arched eyebrow to see Pearl and Amethyst leaning on one another. It was not Pearl that had asked her to dance, though, and she looked at the two dubiously. 

“Why?” 

“What do you mean why? We’ve got Ruby and Sapphire busting out their instruments and I wanna dance. What else do you do with music at a party?” 

“Listen to it without involving my body in any way,” Jasper grunted, but Amethyst seized her arm and strained to get her to her feet. The bigger gem huffed and got up, nearly knocking Amethyst to her butt with the sudden movement. Amethyst laughed and clung to her arm, tugging her toward the bonfires. Jasper’s golden eyes shifted to seek help from Pearl, but the drunken captain was just waving at her with a big grin on her face. As the two moved away, Pearl lowered her hand and hesitated, not sure what to do with herself until she spotted a small form sitting on one of the barrels that had been buried in the sand to work as benches. 

\----------

“Are… are you enjoying the party so far?” Pearl asked, not sure why she was so nervous. She was never nervous, after all: forced or otherwise, she was a pirate known for her brash confidence. Yet for some reason, speaking to one of her own kind had her feeling out of her depth. And she was a mermaid that lost her tail, her depth a long forgotten memory. The complication arose there, as she sat demurely on the other end of the barrel and looked at Blue Pearl in the glow of the fires around them. Music rose up from the rest of the noise of the party, followed by cheers and laughter. Pearl watched as pairs of gems moved to the space that had been cleared for just such a purpose. 

“It’s lovely,” Blue Pearl’s soft voice replied, after a moment of thought. She was holding a glass, but had only had a small amount of it to drink. 

“And you’re… feeling okay?” 

“Hm?” Blue Pearl looked at the pirate captain in confusion, then nodded her head. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I? This is the happiest encounter I have ever seen. You pirates are so kind.” 

“The fires…” Pearl said, eyes downcast, a guilty air around her. 

“They don’t bother me.” 

Pearl fell into an uncomfortable silence, tapping her fingers on the barrel and shifting awkwardly for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something, trying to form an apology in her mind before she let it spill out gracelessly in her drunken state, but her efforts were interrupted before they could really start. 

“Pearls! My pearls, look at how beautiful you are!” Rose Quartz wobbled over to them, picking up Blue Pearl and hugging her tightly before setting her back down on the barrel. She moved to do the same to Pearl, but the pirate’s gem lit up in warning and Rose stopped short. She blushed, bowing her head apologetically. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot I can’t get too close.” 

“It… er… it’s fine. I’m getting used to it now. Uh. You know neither of us are your pearls, right?” 

“All pearls are part of the ocean, and I rule the oceans,” Rose said with a grin and a laugh, which Pearl could have sworn was ironic. “But the other part remains true. You’re both so very beautiful. I’m so happy to find this place, and all of you. I’ve never had so much fun!” 

\------------

Blue Diamond sat near the two small gems that were supplying the night with upbeat music. Ruby was playing on a guitar and Sapphire was providing back up with her voice. She had no words, but the melodies were beautiful enough, singing along with the notes Ruby played as if they had practiced every night leading up to this. Up in the crow’s nest, in the dead of night, no one was really aware of what they got up to, anyway. 

“This is so beautiful,” Blue Diamond told them gently, Ruby grinning at her and nodding her head. Sapphire simply turned a darker color and bowed her head slightly in appreciation. It was not every day that a pair of pirates got a compliment from a Diamond, even if one of those gems served said Diamond. To her credit, though, Sapphire did not spend all that much time with Blue Diamond directly now that she followed Pearl on her adventures and did what she could to keep her safe. Mostly from herself and her own ridiculous decisions. 

Blue Diamond watched as Sapphire and Ruby moved together as they sang and played, almost dancing themselves while all the pirates and hideaways of the island enjoyed the performance. Gems were pairing off, dancing or just sitting down to listen while they ate and drank. Citrine and Kyanite were dancing, while Carnelian enjoyed more food than seemed reasonable for a gem of her size. Bismuth was happy to serve and Peridot and Lapis had joined her kitchen staff, Peridot carving the meat while Lapis provided more drinks. 

Smiling, the Diamond returned her gaze to the two performers, eyes widening as, for a moment, the music stopped. A bright light fooded the small stage and across the dance floor, music starting up again with a new voice as the light faded and one tall gem stood where two smaller ones had been before. Blue Diamond thought it best to drain the last of her glass and the drink provided to her by Lapis before addressing what she was unsure she really saw. 

“Fusion…?” 

\---------------

Jasper was not expecting the music to slow, but she supposed that was just her luck. Amethyst moved closer, despite their height difference, looking up at Jasper with a very serious expression on her face for one so very jovial. Jasper arched an eyebrow at her, taking the lead and keeping Amethyst on the back foot for now. 

“You know, sometimes being First Mate on a ship is way too much work,” Amethyst said abruptly, leaning against Jasper and relaxing a bit. She was smiling, so Jasper let her, even if it meant supporting most of her weight. It was definitely not much of a dance, the two sort of moving while mostly Jasper was trying to keep Amethyst standing. 

“Is it?” Jasper asked airily. 

“Yeah, I mean. I gotta do all this stuff, and I’ve never been good with stuff. I like to relax and fight and do the action stuff. Figuring out supplies and orders and navigation is not the part of being a pirate that I signed up to do. I’ve been thinking, I could protect and serve Pearl from any part of the ship, not just right behind her. Though the view is great.” 

Jasper blushed. 

“Amethyst, try not to speak of your captain in-” 

“Oh come on, Jasp, you’ve seen her naked, too. Even in all those baggy clothes she hides in, she’s got a great butt. Er.. I wasn’t trying to talk about her butt though. Okay, listen. Jasp. I was thinking.” 

“That seems unlikely, but go on,” Jasper sighed, dipping the purple gem only because she had to catch her when one of her legs gave out. Amethyst laughed and grinned up at Jasper, placing one hand on her chest gently. 

“You’re a real dick, but I like you. And I know the Captain does, too. What about you being First Mate?” 

Jasper looked surprised, righting Amethyst and setting her gently on her feet. She stopped moving, but kept on hand on Amethyst’s back, keeping her supported and safe. Amethyst purred loudly, a side effect of the drinking, looking up at the big orange gem and laughing at her dumbstruck expression. 

“I don’t believe that’s your choice to make…” 

“You think Cap will disagree? ‘Cause I don’t. Just think about it. It’s a job, right? You got anything better to do?” 

“I guard and serve the Queen of the mermaids,” Jasper said stiffly, as if reminding them both. Amethyst leaned against her, tapping her finger against Jasper’s finely cut abs. 

“You sure do.” 

\---------------------

Pearl was not quite sure how she had gotten here. Rose Quartz was holding her close, dancing slowly with her even though the music had stopped. Not that they could hear it all that well from this far down the beach, but Pearl could no longer hear it gently drifting to them at all now. Rose Quartz was smiling, though, humming to herself as she led Pearl in circles around the beach. Blue Pearl was gone already, seeking to help her Diamond after spotting the very drunk ruler climbing onto the little performance stage to address a gem no one had seen at the party before. 

“It’s getting late,” Pearl said, as Rose finally stopped, but almost seemed to be clinging to the little much smaller gem. Pearl’s eyes widened as Rose sniffled and bent closer, hiding her face against Pearl’s neck and tightening her arms around the pirate’s frame. “Rose…” 

“I know you,” Rose Quartz said gently. “You feel so good. You feel so familiar. This warmth, I know I miss it. But I don’t know why. Please, Captain. Why are you in my dreams?” 

“I’m… wh-what? You must… must be mistaken,” Pearl stammered helplessly. She looked over Rose Quartz’ shoulder as Jasper stood not too far away. Instead of walking away, like Pearl fully expected, Jasper walked closer slowly. She remained quiet, watching. Pearl felt comforted in a strange way, lifting a hand to pat Rose’s back gently. “You… you’re very drunk, my Queen. Maybe it’s time for bed.” 

Rose Quartz did not move for a long moment, before she drew back and touched her hand to Pearl’s face gently. Pearl shuddered, gem flickering, but she could not draw her eyes away as they met the other gem’s. 

“Please,” Pearl heard herself whisper. 

“My Queen,” Jasper’s voice cut through the tension, Rose almost jumping as she looked quickly to her guard and most loyal soldier. The orange gem’s expression was soft, her hand taking Rose’s arm and guiding her gently back from Pearl, who stumbled a bit and turned her head away to hold her gem in her hand. Rose Quartz stopped, simply unable to leave her yet. 

\------------

The party wore on into the early hours of the morning, gems scattered in pairs or small groups along the beach, near the barrels, or having retreated back into the house for comfort and privacy. The fires were dying down and Bismuth moved to collect her little crew. She hoisted Carnelian onto her back, carrying her as Kyanite and Citrine helped each other walk after her. Bismuth moved Kyanite’s free side, supporting her as well and walking them all back to the ship. There was work to be done there, once the sun rose, though for now none of the crew were in a hurry to think about that. 

Amethyst found Lapis and Peridot sitting together under a tree, both slumped and half asleep after a concoction Bismuth handed them had proven too strong. They were adorable while drunk, cuddly and talkative, and Amethyst decided to protect them from the rest of the world. She hoisted one onto each shoulder, draping them so their arms and legs dangled toward the ground, and carried them into the house to put them to bed. 

Garnet was sitting on the ground, done playing music, with Blue Diamond’s head in her lap. The poor ruler was sound asleep, not even a Diamond able to resist the power of the pirate’s brews. Blue Pearl was sitting with them, quietly talking to the fusion, and wondering how her Diamond would feel about it once she was awake. For her part, Garnet was in no hurry to separate, running her hand through Blue Diamond’s hair soothingly as the worried ruler finally seemed relaxed. 

Fusion was not something common along the seas and the colonies that lined it. It was an old idea, gaining strength by combining gems, but the size of those gems produced from such fusions usually did not fit on a ship. Mainland, in armies, fusion was much more common, but never in a way like Ruby and Sapphire had done that night. Out of fun and love, they created a new gem entirely. For them, it was not strange, and not the first time they had ever done it. 

But for Blue Diamond and most of the other gems that lived on this island, along with the crew members taken from Yellow Diamond’s ships, it was a pure wonder. And probably not something they could truly fathom until the haze of booze and delicious food cleared in the morning. 

\----------------

Down on the beach, in the fading light of a dying bonfire, three gems were not going to bed. They were not retiring to their rooms to be intimate or to sleep, or to continue the party in a smaller setting. Instead, they were standing together, quietly speaking. As the sun settled far below the horizon and the deepest night washed over the beach like the deepest wave, the trio sat down at the water’s edge. Their voices faded, and in a heated moment orange moved against white, and pink fell into the sand with them. 

\----------------


	12. Chapter 11.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper, Rose Quartz, and Pearl continue their own party on the beach and in the ocean. It's best not to ask too many questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly just smut, so think of it as a bonus. You can likely safely skip it and not lose any story content through the next chapter if it's not your thing!

It felt like they had been talking in circles for hours. Half explaining things, back tracking, lies, failed memories, hidden confessions. Nothing was clear, nothing seemed to be sticking or helping. No matter how many words they used, It was impossible to say what needed to be said. 

When Jasper’s lips met Pearl’s, the Captain felt a strange rush of mixed emotions. Relief tainted by a new anxiety, her hands gripping the front of Jasper’s shirt.

“Wh-what?” Pearl managed, against those plush, warm lips she was growing addicted to. Jasper growled in response, one big hand covering both of the smaller ones clinging to her and using them to pull her shirt up. Another rush pulsed through Pearl, excitement and anxiety mixing together. Her eyes flashed to Rose Quartz, who was close enough to touch Jasper’s now exposed back. Her hand slid up, catching the hem of Jasper’s shirt and moving to help her take it off. Pearl almost fought them, her grip keeping it in place for a moment before she let go and Jasper tossed it aside. 

Rose Quartz drew her hand back, enraptured. 

“What are you doing, Jasper?” Pearl finally managed, feeling Jasper’s hands under her own shirt and gripping her arm to stop her for a moment. Her face felt flushed and she could have sworn the world was spinning too quickly around them. Jasper growled lowly, tilting her head to kiss Pearl’s neck and run her tongue over the soft curve of her shoulder and neck. She grazed her teeth across that dainty shoulder, eliciting a soft moan from Pearl. 

“I spoke with Amethyst,” she said gently, Pearl’s grip loosening as she became distracted watching Rose Quartz drawing closer. The pink gem touched her hand to Pearl’s cheek, a sharp pain burning through Pearl’s gem but fading quickly. Mouth hanging slightly open, Pearl was only able to hold on as Jasper moved to give more room to Rose. “It’s a party, right? Let’s just let go tonight. We have plenty to worry about in the morning.”

“You have been talking to Amethyst,” Pearl breathed sharply, voice trembling. “I don’t know if I’m…” 

“Ready?” Jasper and Rose paused, glancing at each other. It was not planned, and frankly Jasper was surprised the queen was going along with it, but she supposed she could understand more than Rose Quartz herself. It was not much to go on, either way. Pearl started to laugh, looking at their concerned faces. With a groan she moved to tug her own shirt over her head, revealing her body to them before gently placing a hand on either one’s cheek. Both had the same impulse to lean into the touch. 

“Drunk enough.” 

Jasper grinned, fangs glistening in the low light, and Rose Quartz laughed like a song. 

\---------------

Arching back, Pearl felt the plush body pressing against her, her hands gripping the two large, gentle pink ones that were busy caressing her small but soft breasts. Somehow those inexperienced fingers were deftly clever, finger and thumb rolling Pearl’s pert nipple between them as Rose Quartz explored. Pearl felt hot kisses trailing her neck, a breathless whisper against her ear. Pearl’s own lips were occupied by an eager, searching mouth. The owner of those lips was also touching her, one orange finger sliding between her legs, teasing her slick folds curiously. 

Once again she had to wonder how her fate ended up leading her here. 

“Here, Jasper,” Rose Quartz purred, moving to stand. Pearl let out a yelp as she was hoisted up from the ground, her size coming into play as Rose Quartz easily held her up off the ground with one arm around her waist. All the while, the other hand continued its exploration of Pearl’s chest, as if worried about losing her interest. Jasper broke away from her kiss as Pearl was lifted away from her, but grinned at the sight. 

“Why thank you,” she purred, kneeling and trailing her hands down Pearl’s long, scarred but strong and beautiful legs. Those hands moved back up, curling around the top of her things before taking hold of them and moving them open. It was about there that Pearl realized what was going on, letting out a moan of pleasure as she watched Jasper disappear between her legs. It was impossible to miss the feeling of that big tongue seeking her folds, pushing inside her to taste the warm walls beyond. 

“Oh geez,” Pearl moaned, reaching one arm upwards and finding Rose’s head, sinking into her hair. It only took a little shifting for Rose to find an easy angle to kiss the smaller gem. Pearl’s gem lit up again, but this time there was no pain. At least none that she could feel in that moment. Her mind was empty but for the pleasure of the moment. It was supposed to be simple: Jasper told her to let go. So she opened her mouth and sought more from lips that she had never been able to truly get to know. Jasper had an easy time getting all she wanted, as well, tongue and mouth hard at work bringing whatever pleasure she could to the gem she was so thoroughly attracted to. She felt Pearl’s body jerk, her hips close a bit, every muscle inside her flush with tension and heat. 

So close already? Jasper did not blame her. She was likely overwhelmed with the company, not just the experience. Her cries were muffled and Jasper did not need to open her eyes to know what was happening. Pearl came hard, pulling Rose’s hair and gripping Jasper’s head with her legs. Jasper eagerly licked what she was given, making sure to drag her tongue over Pearl’s very sensitive clit and almost pulling her over the edge a second time. 

Rose giggled, hugging Pearl to her through the throes of her first orgasm, head swimming at how very beautiful it was. Jasper finally pulled away, though Rose did not set Pearl down just yet, looking at the big orange gem and beckoning her to stand. Jasper wiped her mouth on the back of her hand but Rose reached the arm not holding Pearl’s waist to tug her for a heated kiss before she could wipe all of Pearl’s sweet taste away. Pearl, trapped between them, found herself clinging to Jasper now, leaning up to kiss her chest and neck while the bigger gems kissed over her shoulder. 

“Can we go in the water?” Rose asked gently, catching her breath. 

“Yes. Let’s,” Pearl breathed, though she could almost sense the protective instinct rising in Jasper to somehow keep her from the water. Pearl had never been afraid of it, though, no matter what had happened to her and what diving too deep could mean. And with these two mermaids to protect her, what danger could there be? Of course, it was not her physical safety alone that Jasper was defensive of. Still, she relented, taking over carrying Pearl as she watched Rose Quartz move to the water. 

\-----------

Pearl was sitting in the shallows of the shore, the water moving in gentle waves around her shoulders as she watched the two mergems in the deeper waters ahead. Both had shifted their forms, though they were naked still, swimming around each other in a beautiful dance of long, flowing fines and shimmering colors. Pearl deeply understood the magic of mermaids, how beautiful they truly were, but seeing two she cared so deeply about now playing, laughing, and making love together under the stars was truly one of the most incredible things she had ever seen. 

The Queen and her guard were caught in a dance under the waves, tails spinning them around one another before they would catch hold and draw each other close. Jasper kissed her queen timidly at first, despite their shared moment of heat on the beach, but Rose Quartz pulled her closer as the waters turned them around slowly. 

They stopped, pressed together, tails curling around each other as their upper bodies collided. Jasper gripped Rose’s ample chest, massaging the soft breasts and bending her head to run her tongue over the large, stiff nipples that greeted her. Rose held Jasper’s hips, grinding their bodies together. She whispered something in Jasper’s ears and the orange gem visibly shuddered in the water, Pearl watching in interest and a heated stupor. 

Both gems turned their heads toward her, and Pearl almost felt like the water would turn to steam around her in her embarrassment and burning desire as the two strong emotions coiled inside her dangerously. 

A soft pink light mingled with a strong orange one as the two gems glowed. They were still in the waters a moment, Pearl confused and desperate to see what they were up to. Rose turned toward her, holding on to Jasper’s shoulders now, the orange gem doing the same as they showed Pearl their plans. Two beautiful, long cocks shimmered under the water, Rose pushing her hips toward Jasper’s and rubbing them together. Jasper growled and kissed the Queen suddenly in response, teeth catching her lower lip just enough to hurt. Rose ran her hand over both of their hard members, rubbing them together and exploring the shape they made. Jasper, growling and shuddering, watched for a moment before motioning for Pearl to join them. 

Pearl considered the obvious set up, but supposed there were worse ways to be killed. 

She swam over to them, joining them under the waves. Curious, she circled around their tails, placing her hand on Jasper’s hip and using it to steady herself as she drew closer. Her other hand joined Rose’s, then moved to follow its lead, caressing and stroking the two dicks together and watching the way it sent a nearly electric pulse through both mergems, straight down to their tails. Pearl bent closer, moving Rose’s hand away and running her tongue over one and then the other, teasing and touching them playfully but without any real intention. 

If they wanted to play, she could play.

So close to the other, it was impossible for Rose to resist kissing Jasper again, grinding their hips together under Pearl’s teasing. Pearl was playing deft attention to the heads of their cocks, her mouth more than once engulfing one and then the other, and even both tips experimentally. Finding Jasper to be more sensitive, she traced her tongue over the tip, catching the precum before the water could wash it away. She took the whole pulsing member into her mouth, almost to the back of her throat, her hand wrapped around and pumping Rose’s in equal measure. 

“Gah,” Jasper panted, “this is not what I thought…” 

Pearl pulled her head off of Jasper, wrapping her hand around it instead before taking Rose’s cock into her mouth. It was only fair, after all, giving the other equal time in her throat as she marveled at the difference in taste and feel. Rose moaned in agreement, running her hand through Pearl’s fluffy hair, wild in the water. 

“You can never trust a pirate to stick to a plan,” she teased, though she knew very little about pirates. She did know that this one was enchanting, and she wanted her more and more in each passing moment. It did not hurt that Pearl was deep throating her so masterfully in some of those moments, of course. 

“I suggest we reiterate our intentions,” Jasper growled, as Pearl returned her attention, and hot mouth, to her. 

Jasper caught Pearl under her arms and hoisted her up effortlessly through the water, the Pearl surprised as she was made to let go of her new toys. She looked at Jasper, unable to speak under the water as freely as the other two, then at Rose as the Queen caught her by the hips. Together, the two bigger gems moved her between them, pressing close to keep her snug and keep her wily pirate from escaping to cause any more trouble. Pearl felt both stiff cocks, thoroughly excited now from her teasing, rubbing between her legs as the water continued to rock them gently. She gasped, a flurry of bubbles escaping her. 

“I think she gets it now,” Jasper purred, Rose touching her hand to Pearl’s cheek cautiously. 

“Is this okay?” she asked with a gentle warmth, Pearl nodding her head, and Jasper rumbling contentedly with the response. She moved to tilt Pearl’s hips back just a bit, taking her hand between them and guiding herself into position behind her while Rose found herself perfectly aligned with Pearl’s beautiful pussy. The aptly named gem had another pearl to her, the little jewel of coiled and aching nerves shimmering in the water as Rose rubbed her hard length against it for a moment before pushing the head of her member between Pearl’s folds. 

For Pearl, there was nothing to draw her attention but the feeling of two long, hard cocks sliding inside her, searching for their perfect positions. Jasper’s strong arm was wrapped around her midsection now, holding her not just for support, since the mergems kept them balanced with their strong tails, but for comfort to the little Pearl. It had to be a lot, both physically and mentally. Pearl did not seem to be thinking the same thing, pushing her hips back to take more of Jasper while holding on to Rose to keep her from going anywhere. 

“Greedy little pirate,” Jasper purred. She looked over Pearl’s shoulder to meet eyes with Rose, then nodded her head toward the surface. She wanted to be able to hear Pearl’s cries of pleasure, and Rose silently agreed, kicking her tail. The two moved carefully, breaking through the surface and steadying themselves against the tides as Pearl immediately moaned with each movement. Her hands gripped whatever she could find, reaching back and holding Jasper’s hip in a white knuckled grip while her other hand did the same to Rose’s shoulder. 

Jasper opted not to move too much, letting the water guide her and moving her tail to adjust, her hips slow and steady as she struggled with the tight grip that greeted her. Rose was more eager, sinking into her new lover and setting the pace for the three of them. Pearl was nothing more than guttural moans and nails digging into orange or pink skin with every thrust, every movement, taking her two lovers at once. If she did remember words, it was only to yell their names, or simply call to the stars. Jasper thrived on the song Pearl’s pleasured voice created, exotic and uncontrolled. Out here in the sea, there was nothing to reach them, to pull them back or apart. There was only their movements, their shared groans and whispered confessions. The soldier was surprised to find herself rocketing toward her climax, though she was not sure if it was Pearl’s tight, responsive body or Rose’s eager, hard pace. 

For her own part, the Queen was in a world she had never dreamed of. For all the new experiences and knowledge she had gained tonight, this was the least expected of all. And the most exciting and, in its own way, needed. She reached to hold on to both Jasper and Pearl as she kicked her tail and thrust up into the willing body of her forgotten beloved, stealing heated kisses and tasting each moan as she buried herself over and over. She felt Jasper beginning to move with more need now, matching her pace, but in opposite motions. Each time she impaled Pearl so beautifully on her royal cock, the loyal soldier pulled hers back, almost out, only for them to trade places. Pearl’s body trembled and rocked over them, as if trying to help, but barely able to keep it together. Rose lost count of how many times those hot, gripping walls tightened around her, shuddering in obvious climax, until she was sure they never stopped. 

“My Pearl!” Rose cried, suddenly growing still. Jasper pressed herself in as well, grunting and growling as she came moments before Rose’s own orgasm overwhelmed her. Pearl’s musical voice rose above the sounds of the waves, echoing in the stars. 

\----------

Pearl opened her eyes to find herself resting in a nest of all of their clothes, Jasper’s shirt draped over her like a blanket. She sat up slowly, carefully, wincing a bit but finding her body very relaxed. It had not been long, the skies still dark, and she looked around to see Jasper and Rose Quartz sitting together in the sand not too far away. Both were in their underwear now, but nothing more, the rest supplied as a bed for Pearl. Embarrassed, not ready to admit she had passed out from pleasure alone, Pearl brought Jasper’s shirt with her as she wandered over to them. 

They might have been talking at some point, but the conversation seemed over as Pearl moved to sit on Jasper’s side. Rose was leaning on Jasper’s shoulder, looking sleepy and happy. She glanced across at Pearl and her smile only widened, eyes filled with wonder and shimmering warmth. Pearl blushed and glanced away, hugging Jasper’s arm before the bigger gem moved it to drape it across her shoulders. 

“Well look who’s back. Needed a quick nap, eh, Pirate?” 

“To be honest, I’m surprised either of you are still awake,” Pearl grumbled. Jasper saw how huffy she was and moved to kiss her bitterness away. Not expecting the sweet, passionate kiss, Pearl was left breathless and at least finding it hard to frown. She leaned on Jasper, trying not to let her mind begin to worry about what they just did together. A soft sound drew her attention, and she noticed that Rose had fallen to sleep against Jasper’s shoulder. “Oh, never mind.” 

“Yeah, she’s been in and out for a bit. She had a lot of fun tonight.” 

“I bet she did.” 

“Are you feeling weird about it?” Jasper looked at Pearl affectionately, caressing her soft, blushing cheeks and examining her in the darkness. The fires had long ago burned out, but the stars were clear and the moon was high. In this light, Pearl looked truly beautiful, even her cracked gem shimmering as the moonlight illuminated her pale, smooth skin. She was just holding Jasper’s shirt in front of her, after all, so her shoulders, legs, and back were bare. 

“I might in the morning. Right now… I’m feeling weird about you.” Pearl did not look away from the soldier as she spoke, keeping their eyes locked together even as she saw the doubt and hurt flash across Jasper’s face. 

“Me? Because I initiated all this? I thought it might be good for you to-” 

“Shut up for a second,” Pearl said, letting Jasper’s shirt fall into her lap. She rose to her knees, the shirt slipping to the floor and leaving her bare once again. She brushed some wild, drying hair from Jasper’s face, curling her fingers through the thick strands and admiring the snowy color. On her knees like this, she was just about eye level with Jasper now, and she guided Jasper’s face to look at her directly. Jasper looked confused, and no small part worried, but her expression softened as she took in the radiant sight of the fallen Queen of the Mermaids as she almost glowed in the moonlight. 

After a long moment of just watching each other, Jasper cleared her throat. 

“I wanted you to be able to be comfortable around her, and to know that my feelings for you, whatever they are, haven’t changed-” 

“Pretty sure I told you to shut up,” Pearl cut in, but her tone was gentle. Her hands caressed under Jasper’s strong jaw, tilting her head up so she could finally return that passionate, emotional kiss from before. Jasper whimpered as their lips met, almost melting into it and finding herself wanting nothing more than to be in the other’s arms again. When the broke away, it was Jasper’s turn to be breathless, searching Pearl’s face as the other stared at her again.

Another long moment passed before Pearl smiled, and the light of it threatened to bring the bigger gem to her knees. It was a good thing she was sitting down. 

“Yup,” Pearl said, coming to a conclusion she did not share. “Thank you, Jasper. For this. For everything. For being you. Whatever happens tomorrow, I can almost say I have no regrets.” 

“Almost?” Jasper breathed, watching the pirate as she stood, picking up the much too big shirt and tugging it on over her head as gracefully as anyone wrestling with a tent could. Pearl emerged from the fabric and smiled at her gently, one arm hugging herself. She grinned, and offered Jasper a wink before turning and waving her hand over her shoulder. 

“Let’s get some sleep.” 

\----------------


End file.
